There Italian national basketball team returns to Livorno after 27 years. The Azzurri, already sure of a place in the World Cup, they will play tomorrow at the Modigliani Forum against Ukraine at 21.00 the penultimate match of the FIBA World Cup 2023 Qualifiers.
The last away match in Caceres against Spain on Sunday 26th at 18.00. The matches will be visible live on Rai Sport, Eleven and Sky Sport. THE two matches are important to improve the ranking in view of the world draw which will determine the groups for the world championship scheduled in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines from 25 August to 10 September.
These i 12 Azzurri chosen by coach Pozzecco for tomorrow’s match, Riccardo Visconti’s absolute debut with the Senior shirt.
#0 Marco Spissu (1995, 184, P, Umana Reyer Venice)
#1 Niccolo Mannion (2001, 190, P, Segafredo Virtus Bologna)
#6 Paul Biligha (1990, 200, C, EA7 Emporio Armani Milano)
#12 Diego Flaccadori (1996, 193, P, Dolomiti Energia Trentino)
#16 Amedeo Tessitori (1994, 208, C, Umana Reyer Venice)
#17 Giampaolo Ricci (1991, 202, A, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan)
#22 Giordano Bortolani (2000, 193, G, Tezenis Verona)
#24 Riccardo Moraschini (1991, 194, G/A, Umana Reyer Venice)
#30 Guglielmo Caruso (1999, 208, A/C, Openjobmetis Varese)
#36 Riccardo Visconti (1998, 198, G, Carpegna Prosciutto Pesaro)
#40 Luca Severini (1996, 204, A, Bertram Yachts Derthona Tortona)
#53 Tomas Woldetensae (1998, 196, G/A, Openjobmetis Varese)
The choices were communicated during the press conference which today was hosted by the Municipality of Livorno. Moderator was the “landlord”, that is Mayor Luca Salvetti: “It is a great honor for me and for the city I represent to host the national basketball team. An opportunity that we have been chasing for years and which has finally materialised, 27 years after the last time. I had no doubts that the Modigliani Forum would fill up, in the 80s Livorno was at the top of Italian basketball, after a moment of difficulty we are now ready to return to playing an important role, as demonstrated by the full house in the Serie B derby a few weeks ago.”
These are the words of FIP president Petrucci: “Livorno has never betrayed basketball, we wanted to come back here even if the rules imposed by the international federation are stringent and therefore we had to wait for the Modigliani Forum to adapt to what was required of us. The one that will play tomorrow is a young national team but with clean faces and ready to do well: the sold out is the confirmation that we have chosen well. A friendly isn’t waiting for us, we want to honor our commitment to Ukraine as best we can, which among other things was invaded by Russia a year ago, on February 24, 2022. Even for these implications it won’t be a normal game. I thank the Mayor, Massimo Faraoni and the Master Group for the work done and I greet with particular pleasure the presence of the Commander of the Naval Academy Lorenzano Di Renzo”.
Thus Massimo Faraoni, president of the Tuscany Regional Committee of the FIP: “We started working for this event in July 2020, it is thanks to many realities that I want to thank if we are here today. A choice that gratifies a city and an entire region and that we want to honor in the best possible way”.
It was then the turn of CT Pozzecco. “In 1993 I played here, I was a boy and I was trying to establish myself. I played an excellent season, thanks to the welcome I was given and for this reason Livorno will always remain in my heart: 30 years have gone by but that was the most important moment of my career. I have wonderful memories of this place, there were three figures who helped me in particular: Dado Lombardi, Stefano Attruia and Michael Ray Richardson. Livorno is a city that excites, my boys know how to do the same: that’s why I’m sure a special evening awaits us. We are already sure of a place in the World Cup while Ukraine is playing most of its chances but we will do everything to honor the principles of sport since Georgia is also at stake for a place in the World Cup. I take this opportunity to congratulate Germani Brescia, also on behalf of my staff, for the victory of the Coppa Italia obtained in Turin last weekend”.
Captain Biligha confirmed that tomorrow there is a game to be honored and won. “We were very well received, we know that a warm and numerous audience awaits us and we can only be happy about it. As always, when we wear this jersey, we will give 100%”.
“After the successes of last autumn, another important appointment for the national team, already sure of a place in the World Cup and which returns, 27 years after the last time, to Livorno, a city of basketball and tradition” – he declared Antonio Santa Maria, General Manager of Master Group Sport. “I thank the Municipality of Livorno for their hospitality and support. Special thanks also to FIP Toscana with which we have activated dedicated promotions to involve all enthusiasts. It promises to be a great show to which the public responded present in a few days “.
The press conference was closed by the speech of the Commander of the Naval Academy Lorenzano Di Renzo. “We are honored to be part of this important sporting event, tomorrow we will be on the pitch with our fanfare performing the two national anthems. Sport is a territory of inclusion and an essential tool for the training of children, for these reasons we are very sensitive when it comes to organizing sporting events. On March 3, Livorno will host the “Derby delle stellette”, a charity match that will see players from the two Livorno basketball teams on the field together with athletes and youngsters from the Livorno Academy and other Italian Academies. The proceeds will be donated entirely to charity, we expect the city to respond present as always”.
There is a beautiful story between basketball and Livorno, which brings to mind many memories: it is the city that gave birth, in addition to Azzurri like Nesti, Cosmelli, Dell’Agnello, Fantozzi, to a legend like Dado Lombardi (113 matches, 1432 points and 3 Olympics in the national team). It is the city that a few decades ago hosted one of the most heartfelt rivalries in our basketball, the one between Pallacanestro Livorno and Libertas. Livorno is one of the capitals of Italian basketball, as confirmed by the 7,500 spectators who attended the new Serie B derby from Livorno a few weeks ago.
In total there are six matches played by the Senior men’s national team in Livorno, all friendlies played at the PalaMacchia in via Allende between 1976 and 1996. The one against Ukraine will therefore be the first official match played by the Azzurri in the Tuscan capital.
The match in Livorno is organized for the Italian Basketball Federation by Master Group Sport, FIP’s commercial advisor.
Tomorrow at 3.00 pm the Hotel Palazzo in Livorno will host the press conference to present the partnership between the Italian Basketball Federation and the Federation of Oncologists, Cardiologists and Haematologists. The president of FIP Giovanni Petrucci, the CT Gianmarco Pozzecco and the president of FOCE Francesco Cognetti will be present.
FIBA World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers
Leghorn, Modigliani Forum
Italy-Ukraine (Thursday 23 February, 9.00 pm)
Live on RAI Sport, ELEVEN, Sky Sport
Italy
#0 Marco Spissu (1995, 184, P, Umana Reyer Venice)
#1 Niccolo Mannion (2001, 190, P, Segafredo Virtus Bologna)
#6 Paul Biligha (1990, 200, C, EA7 Emporio Armani Milano)
#12 Diego Flaccadori (1996, 193, P, Dolomiti Energia Trentino)
#16 Amedeo Tessitori (1994, 208, C, Umana Reyer Venice)
#17 Giampaolo Ricci (1991, 202, A, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan)
#22 Giordano Bortolani (2000, 193, G, Tezenis Verona)
#24 Riccardo Moraschini (1991, 194, G/A, Umana Reyer Venice)
#30 Guglielmo Caruso (1999, 208, A/C, Openjobmetis Varese)
#36 Riccardo Visconti (1998, 198, G, Carpegna Prosciutto Pesaro)
#40 Luca Severini (1996, 204, A, Bertram Yachts Derthona Tortona)
#53 Tomas Woldetensae (1998, 196, G/A, Openjobmetis Varese)
Ukraine
#7 Denis Lukashov (1989, 188, P, Prometey)
#11 Oleksandr Lypovyi (1991, 203, A, Prometey)
#13 Vyacheslav Bobrov (1992, 203, A, Budivelnyk)
#17 Andrii Voinalovich (1999, 207, A, Tartu – Estonia)
#23 Artem Pustovy (1992, 219, C, Murcia – Spain)
#30 Issuf Sanon (1999, 194, P, Prometey)
#32 Bogdan Blyznyuk (1995, 198, A, Budivelnyk)
#33 Volodymyr Koniev (1989, 203, A, Budivelnyk)
#35 Artem Kovalev (1997, 208, A, Full Zvaigzdes Pasvalys – Lithuania)
#50 Oleksandr Kovlyar (2002, 188, P, Khimik)
#52 Volodymyr Gerun (1994, 208, C, Real Betis – Spain)
#55 Ilya Sidorov (1996, 184, P, Prometey)
Coach: Ainars Bagatskis
Assistants: Mykola Kirsanov, Raimonds Feldmanis
Referees: Aleksandar Glisic (Serbia), Wojciech Liszka (Poland), Martin Vulic (Croatia)
Fiba World Cup 2023 Qualifiers
L group standings
Spain 15 (7/1)*
Italy 14 (6/2)*
Georgia 12 (4/4)
Iceland 12 (4/4)
Ukraine 11 (3/5)
Netherlands 8 (0/8)
*qualified for the World Cup
L group calendar
August 24th
Georgia-Netherlands 77-66
Ukraine-Italy 89-97
Spain-Iceland 87-57
August 27th
Netherlands-Spain 64-86
Italy-Georgia 91-84
Iceland-Ukraine 91-88 a1ts
11 November*
Netherlands-Ukraine 77-96
Iceland-Georgia 85-88
Italy-Spain 84-88 d1ts
November 14th*
Ukraine-Iceland 79-72
Georgia-Italy 84-85
Spain-Netherlands 84-72
February 23rd
Iceland-Spain
Netherlands-Georgia
Italy-Ukraine
February 26th
Ukraine-Netherlands
Georgia-Iceland
Spain-Italy
(Source Fip.it)(photo@Italbasket-Facebook)
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