Press conference at Virtus Segafredo Bologna (updating). The words of CEO Luca Baraldi: “The season just ended, only 15 days ago we had confirmation of the EuroLeague. I think it’s the first great result of the season, it wasn’t a given. Given the competitors we had, a big club like Valencia was left out. last year they took a player like Ojeleye away from us with money. I think having obtained this license for another year was the first response to the seriousness that this company represented on the market compared to the EuroLeague that we give to the fans. We haven’t spoken for a long time, but you know us: we speak when we have things to say, not to please people.
Why July 1st? The day after June 30th, we had an important deadline. Toko Shengelia’s stay or not. And we can say that Toko Shengelia will be a player for Virtus Bologna next season too. And we are working, and I believe with optimism, so that he can marry Virtus with a multi-year contract. This is the first response that such an important player, with such an important market, has given to the Virtus project. He is absolutely not ill, he continues to have ambitions. Even though Virtus reported on May 14th – through the newspapers – that its turnover could drop by 50% overnight, it did not give up – and I thank Segafredo, who decided to continue for another year and I hope for more years. Without Zanetti we wouldn’t be here, Virtus wouldn’t be in the EuroLeague, not even in the geography of Italian basketball. When we arrived there were injunctions, it was 2017. I ask for respect towards those who achieved this result and carried the company forward with great commitment.
On the market, from today Paolo, Banchi – who we have never questioned – are working to give a technical sense to the roster compared to what is the budget, which is still very close to last year’s. But we are optimistic because today we have a new technical sponsor. We have met on our path one of those that in my opinion is one of the two largest companies in the world, Adidas. For the first time in my career I am lucky to have Adidas as a strategic partner”
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