The emotional, very beautiful video, shot with Max Laudadio, nor the public fundraising launched on a specialized platform were not enough. There Handicap Sport Varese has given up to play in the next championship Serie A wheelchair basketball after having won, or rather dominated, the Serie B one: too many costs and too little money available for the red and white club which will therefore play the cadet tournament again.
«We had no other options – explains Carlo Marinello, historic president of HSV, two days after giving up – We had pre-registered, given that the team acquired the right to Serie A on the field, but by last Saturday we should have given the definitive confirmation, but the costs are too high».
The budget needed for the top championship was valued, from the red and white society, in around 150 thousand euros, twice (maybe even something more) compared to the cadet series. «To play in Serie A it was necessary some grafts at the player level, the taxes race, the fixed costs but then the ones that have a strong impact on the finances are the travel”. Decisive, in the negative, is the variation of the championship formula: «The Serie A clubs have chosen to move to single national group abandoning the two groups compiled on a territorial basis in the first phase – explains Marinello – This means a regular season from 18 games with two away games in Sardinia and those in Calabria, in Abruzzo and so on. After many years of careful management we didn’t want to put the club at risk by enrolling it in the championship without the necessary coverage.”
Marinello and HSV have “cashed in” the proximity of historical sponsors such as Amca Elevatori (which is the main pairing), ZMC and other brands that support the business. And also the Varese Basketball guaranteed support, given that the “sitting” team is connected to the large red and white “house”. «But this time it would be further certainty was served with important figures, beyond those who are always close to us. It’s sad for the boys who won the championship, for ourselves who worked hard but we can’t do otherwise.”
The company will now have to recalibrate the team to play Serie B again: from Varese Iragorri will leave (will return to Spain), Silva (withdrawal) e Pedron who will play in Serie A while also freeing up the bench as he served as player-coach this year. «We are looking for a coach – confirms Marinello – perhaps already with experience of wheelchair basketball, given that we are interested in a medium-long term project. Because if there were to be the possibility of making Serie A in the future, we would like to try again. Finances permitting.”
