«Be ready at the right time». How many times has this phrase been heard, often after a defeat, over the course of this year (but also previous ones…)? Well, it seems that Cantù and Trieste have really taken this sentence literally.
Coach Devis Cagnardi spoke about it on the eve of game 1: «Like them, we have followed a path that has led us to be ready in the most important moment. Having said that both have rosters built to try to win, I wouldn’t dwell too much on the ranking because this is the history of basketball: in the end everything gets mixed up with the playoffs. And there would be many examples. This is to say that the playoffs don’t always fully reward the year. They? They were able to rally around the team, believing in their choices and arrived extremely ready with confidence for this final act.”
Well yes, Trieste in the final. A few days ago, Bucarelli confessed that he had “foreseeed” this outcome after facing the Giuliani in the clock phase: «We all thought so. We reflected ourselves a bit in them: we won that very offensive match. You could see that they had players with experience and personality.”
A team that has won four times away and which, as a general characteristic, tries to finish after a few seconds. Can making them see reason be a weapon? «It is a team that is very dedicated to attack, but has also been able to find a very good defensive position. There are players on the roster who are difficult to stop. If this is the case, we will try to limit them.”
Will the field factor have an impact? «Our audience cannot be missing, neither for presence nor for the closeness that, to tell the truth, we had at every moment of the season. It is an enthusiasm that the team not only perceives, but it is also a type of enthusiasm that we want to draw from in order to have more energy on the pitch. Clearly, the field factor must be defended, against a team that has already demonstrated that it can win on difficult pitches and against very strong teams. This is one more reason to raise the level of attention.”
No physical problems and this is also excellent news: «My boys would play this final even without a leg. At the end of the year, having a team that is not very young, we have to live with some minor aches and pains, but nothing serious. We are approaching work, trying to isolate ourselves a little.”
For coach Cagnardi it will certainly be a “strong” moment, but he has already experienced them in his career: «It’s my first final, but as deputy I was lucky enough to play two championship finals with Reggio Emilia, as well as a Super Cup final and EuroChallenge won. However, the roles are different: now there is a very strong sense of responsibility towards the club, the team, the square and the fans.”
