VARESE – What Malpensa24 had anticipated on May 27th was all true. Andrea De Nicolao would have liked to return to Varese. Moral? As written exclusively by La Provincia di Como, tomorrow, Monday 24 June, it will be announced in Cantù. While Davide Moretti will go to Venice and Luis Scola counts the “able and enlisted” Italians for next year (with the unknown Nico Mannion). And the Varese fans are enraged.
Denik the no return: the backstory
The first contact between Andrea De Nicolao and Varese dates back to February, around the Final Eight of the Italian Cup. Of course, with a thousand ifs and buts and a million cautions. Denik has a contract with Reyer until 2025 and they don’t cost much money. But the conviction is strong, just as it is the desire to get closer to homeso much so that he made important choices for his family. Luis Scola, however, niche. The type of player is not part of Varese’s technical project: this said in summary. And the desire remains unidirectional. From that moment on, other things happen for Denik: lots of space on the pitch, a playoff semi-final played as an absolute protagonist and the possibility of Pozzecco on the bench at Reyer. The stay in Venice once again becomes a possibility, there is a contract anyway. And instead Brugnano and Casarin turn the tables: confirmation of Neven Spahija on the bench (with whom, it is whispered, there wasn’t a great feeling) and a close court to Davide Moretti, who, in fact, would close spaces for De Nicolao himself.
Cantu arrives
In this push and pull it is Pallacanestro Cantù is very good at fitting in, who immediately gets the hint. The burning disappointment of the playoff final lost against Trieste was quickly metabolised, Sandro Santoro is quick to smell the wind. De Nicolao’s desire to get closer to home causes sex Cantù’s desire to set up a “Trapani model” squadron to be entrusted to the prodigal son Nicolao Brienza (Brooks and Biligha are also on the list). As reported in the preview by Edoardo Ceriani on the Province of Como, the general manager from Cantù lands the blow. And he closes it within 3 days. Moral of the story, tomorrow, Monday 24 June, the conclusion of the operations, the statement from Reyer farewell to the captain and the official announcement from Cantù are expected.
Meanwhile in Varese: via Moretti, Mannion…?
Davide Moretti will go to Venice. The phone calls made in the last few days by the coach in pectore Herman Mandole to ask the number 11 to retrace his steps were of no avail. As Malpensa24 feared on May 27, now it’s Luis Scola who finds himself with Peppa Tencia in his hand. That is, an Italian player with 27 minutes and an average of 12.1 points per game (with 41.9% from 3) is missing. Imagine if Mannion were to leave too. The desire of the club and the environment is to confirm the Red Mamba, Nico is very attached to Varese, but if “the offer that cannot be refused” were to arrive (more from a technical point of view than a salary one)… bye bye Mannion. At that point it would become very difficult for Varese to make ends meet for the Italians, with only Librizzi, Assui and Okeke (plus Bottelli) on contract.
The cards in Luis Scola’s hand
At this point (and, even more so, in the event of farewell to Mannion) Luis Scola has the cards in his hand. Maybe he will be able to fan them out in the best possible way, surprising everyone with an authentic “Kansas City move” (could it be the same Jeff Brooks?). However, this is not known at the moment. Oh God, if it were up to us Andrea De Nicolao we absolutely wouldn’t have let him slip away. Imagine the red and white fans, who love Denik and who saw him stolen from under their noses by the Cantù cousins. A bit of a joke, no laughing matter.
Some loves never end. OJM-Andrea De Nicolao there is contact, return possible
