Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna

Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna
Leagues	Serie A
Founded	1929
History	1929–present
Arena	Unipol Arena
Arena Capacity	11,000
Location	Bologna, Italy
Team colors	Black and White
President	Alberto Bucci
Head coach	Giorgio Valli
Championships	15 Italian Championships 8 Italian Cups 2 Euroleagues 1 Saporta Cup 1 EuroChallenge 1 Italian Supercup
Retired numbers	3 (4, 5, 10)
Website	virtus.it
Uniforms
Home Away

Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna, known for sponsorship reasons as Virtus Segafredo Bologna,^[1] is an Italian professional basketball club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. It plays in the first division Serie A as of the 2015-16 season.

For past club sponsorship names, see the list below.

History

Virtus was founded in 1871 as a gymnastics club, forming its first professional basketball team in 1929. It won its first national Serie A title in 1945, adding the next three editions as well. They would add two back to back titles in 1955 and 1956. A 20-year national title drought ended with another championship in 1976, the first of four up to 1984, completing a domestic double the latter year by adding a Cup.^[2]

In 1990 they achieved a different double with the domestic cup completemented by the European Cup Winner's Cup, their first European title, beating Real Madrid in the final thanks to an outstanding Micheal Ray Richardson. After nearly a decade, Virtus added the 1993 Serie A, also winning the next two. Led by players such as Predrag Danilović, Zoran Savić and Antoine Rigaudeau the Italians won the 1997–98 FIBA Euroleague, Europe's premier competition, with another domestic title as a bonus.^[2]

In 2001 the side went one better, winning the 2000–01 Euroleague (played in competition with a new Euroleague), the Serie A and the Italian Cup to complete a Triple Crown. At the time Virtus had one of the best rosters ever in European basketball with Marko Jarić, Manu Ginóbili, Rigaudeau, Matjaž Smodiš and Rashard Griffith.^[2]

Virtus Bologna (2011-12 season)

They would win the Italian cup again in 2002, but lost in the Euroleague final and the Serie A semifinals. Suffering from serious financial problems Virtus was excluded from the Serie A in Auguste 2003 after missing payments to players.^[2][3][4] The club even had to merge with FuturVirtus Castelmaggiore in the second division to avoid disappearing.

Virtus returned to the top division in 2004. In 2006-07 they qualified for the playoffs after a five-year absence, reaching the championship finals but losing to Montepaschi Siena. They also reached the EuroCup semifinals.^[2]

In 2009 they added another trophy to their cabinet, with the European third tier EuroChallenge, with 21 points from Finals MVP Keith Langford in the final against Cholet Basket.^[5]

On 4 May 2016 Virtus was relegated to Serie A2 Basket for the first time in its history after finishing in the last position of the 2015–16 Lega Basket Serie A.^[6]

Arena

Unipol Arena

Virtus' home arena is the Unipol Arena (previously known as the PalaMalaguti).

Honours

Total titles: 28

Domestic competitions

Italian League

• Winners (15): 1945-46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1997–98, 2000–01

Italian Cup

• Winners (8): 1973-74, 1983–84, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001-02
• Runners-up (6): 1992-93, 1999-00, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10

Italian Supercup

• Winners (1): 1995
• Runners-up (7): 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2009, 2010

European competitions

FIBA European Champions Cup / Euroleague

• Winners (2): 1997-98, 2000-01
• Runners-up (3): 1980-81, 1998-99, 2001-02
• Final Four (3): 1998, 1999, 2002

FIBA European Cup Winner's Cup / FIBA Saporta Cup

• Winners (1): 1989-90
• Runners-up (2): 1977-78, 1999-00

FIBA EuroChallenge

• Winners (1): 2008-09

Worldwide competitions

McDonald's Championship

• Runners-up (2): 1993, 1995

Unofficial

Triple Crown

• Winners (1): 2000-01

Top performances in European & Worldwide competitions

The road to the European Cup victories

1989–90 FIBA European Cup Winner's Cup Round Team Home   Away   2nd round Çukurova Üniversitesi 108–64 71–72 Quarter-finals Žalgiris 102–79 86–83 Sunair Oostende 93–85 78–69 Maccabi Ramat Gan 86–73 95–96 Semi-finals PAOK 77–57 94–100 Final Real Madrid 79–74

1997–98 FIBA Euroleague Round Team Home   Away   1st round Hapoel Jerusalem 73–51 81–68 Pau-Orthez 72–79 67–65 FC Barcelona 83–70 84–71 Partizan 77–72 74–49 Ülker 94–64 68–66 2nd round Racing Paris 69–52 72–62 Union Olimpija 72–62 60–76 Alba Berlin 81–66 69–85 Top 16 Estudiantes 86–62 67–62 Quarter-finals Teamsystem Bologna 64–52 58–56 Semi-final Partizan 83–61 Final AEK 58–44

2000–01 Euroleague Round Team Home   Away   Regular season AEK 81–66 77–78 Cibona 106–88 78–69 Tau Cerámica 76–73 65–59 Spirou Charleroi 106–87 80–58 Saint Petersburg Lions 84–78 82–78 Top 16 Adecco Estudiantes 113–70 85–80 Quarter-finals Union Olimpija 80–79 81–79 Semi-finals Paf Bologna 103–76 92–84 74–70 Finals Tau Cerámica 65–78 94–73 80–60 79–96 82–74

Players

Current roster

Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age 5.0 !C 7000100000000000000♠1 USA ! Pittman, Dexter 7000211000000000000♠2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) 7002129000000000000♠129 kg (284 lb) 7001280000000000000♠28 – (1988-03-02)2 March 1988 2.0 !SG 7001120000000000000♠12 USA ! NGR ! Umeh, Michael 7000188000000000000♠1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 7001320000000000000♠32 – (1984-09-18)18 September 1984 4.5 !F/C 7000200000000000000♠2 ITA ! Fabiani, Simone 7000204999999999999♠2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 7001240000000000000♠24 – (1992-06-19)19 June 1992 2.0 !SG 7000300000000000000♠3 ITA ! Vitali, Michele 7000196000000000000♠1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 7001880000000000000♠88 kg (194 lb) 7001250000000000000♠25 – (1991-10-31)31 October 1991 3.5 !F 7000700000000000000♠7 ITA ! Vercellino, Roberto 7000202000000000000♠2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) 7001860000000000000♠86 kg (190 lb) 7001190000000000000♠19 – (1997-04-16)16 April 1997 5.0 !C 7000800000000000000♠8 ITA ! Cuccarolo, Gino 7000221000000000000♠2.21 m (7 ft 3 in) 7001940000000000000♠94 kg (207 lb) 7001290000000000000♠29 – (1987-11-26)26 November 1987 1.0 !PG 7000900000000000000♠9 USA ! Gaddy, Abdul 7000190000000000000♠1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 7001970000000000000♠97 kg (214 lb) 7001240000000000000♠24 – (1992-01-26)26 January 1992 1.5 !G 7001110000000000000♠11 USA ! Williams, Pendarvis 7000198000000000000♠1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 7001880000000000000♠88 kg (194 lb) 7001250000000000000♠25 – (1991-11-13)13 November 1991 3.0 !SF 7001130000000000000♠13 ITA ! Fontecchio, Simone 7000202999999999999♠2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 7001930000000000000♠93 kg (205 lb) 7001210000000000000♠21 – (1995-12-09)9 December 1995 4.5 !F/C 7001140000000000000♠14 ITA ! Mazzola, Valerio 7000208000000000000♠2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 7001960000000000000♠96 kg (212 lb) 7001280000000000000♠28 – (1988-03-07)7 March 1988 1.5 !G 7001150000000000000♠15 ITA ! Oxilia, Tommaso 7000198000000000000♠1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 7001850000000000000♠85 kg (187 lb) 7001180000000000000♠18 – (1998-04-22)22 April 1998 4.0 !PF 7001240000000000000♠24 USA ! Odom, Rod 7000206000000000000♠2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 7001980000000000000♠98 kg (216 lb) 7001250000000000000♠25 – (1991-09-23)23 September 1991 1.5 !G 7001250000000000000♠25 USA ! Ray, Allan 7000190000000000000♠1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 7001860000000000000♠86 kg (190 lb) 7001320000000000000♠32 – (1984-06-17)17 June 1984	Head coach Giorgio Valli Assistant coach(es) Daniele Cavicchi Christian Fedrigo Mattia Largo Legend (C) Team captain Injured Roster Updated: February 28, 2015

Notable players

Retired numbers

• 04 Roberto Brunamonti (PG, 1982–96)
• 05 Predrag Danilović (G, 1992–95, 1997–2000)
• 10 Renato Villalta (C, 1976–89)

Other notable players

Coaches

Sponsorship names

Throughout the years, due to sponsorship, the club has been known as :

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna.

• Historical record and names at Lega Basket Serie A Retrieved 27 June 2015 (Italian)