“Basketball is my environment and I missed it”
After being forced to temporarily step away from the national team for family reasons, Luca Banchi has returned to Folgaria to resume his work with Italy.
During his absence, assistant coach Ramondino and the rest of the staff continued working with the group, but Banchi admitted that returning to the gym was particularly meaningful.
“Basketball is my environment and I missed it. This national team is a second family. Coaching for me is not just about managing a group and setting rules. The gym is where I feel comfortable, where I can express myself.”
The Italian coach also highlighted the support he received while away from the team.
“It was wonderful to meet again with people who, during these weeks of my absence, never failed to show constant support to me and my family, starting with president Petrucci.”
“I had no doubts about my coaching staff”
Banchi was also pleased with the work carried out by his assistants while he was away.
“I had no doubts about my staff. I’ve always believed in the abilities of my assistants, and their qualities confirm the strength of our coaching culture.”
According to Banchi, the national team has also managed to create an environment capable of helping every member of the group.
“I believe we have created an environment capable of bringing out the best in every member, for the benefit of both the players and their clubs.”
39 players called up
Banchi also took stock of his first period as Italy’s head coach.
“I’ve called up 39 players, and 25 of them have played. Together with my assistants, we’ve tried to establish clear technical principles despite often having very limited time.”
The current training camp gives Italy more time to work on those ideas.
“Here in Folgaria, we can work to reinforce certain concepts. The goal is to make the basketball we have in our heads simple for the players.“
Important additions to the group include Nicolò Melli, Simone Fontecchio and Darius Thompson, who had not previously played under Banchi since he took over as head coach.
Bosnia and Serbia: “The level will be very high”
Italy’s next two World Cup 2027 qualifying games against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia will provide a major test.
“We have a comfortable position in the standings, but we know everything can be put back into play. Bosnia and Serbia are strong opponents.”
Banchi expects both games to be extremely competitive.
“All the national teams will have their best players available. The level will be very high.“
“Italian players know how to respond when given responsibility”
One of the most interesting parts of Banchi’s interview concerned the role of Italian players in the domestic league.
The coach believes the recently completed season provided further evidence that Italian players can make a major impact when they are trusted with responsibility.
“The season confirmed that when Italian players are given responsibility, they know how to respond in a big way.“
Banchi does not believe restrictive rules should necessarily be introduced to force clubs to use more Italian players.
“I don’t believe we need restrictive rules to force clubs to play Italian players. Instead, we need to convince owners, executives and coaches that, when given the right opportunities, our players can provide competitiveness combined with a very strong sense of belonging.”
He pointed to players such as Mannion, Ricci, Tessitori, Candi, Niang, Pajola, Ferrari, Diouf, Akele and Della Valle, all of whom made important contributions to teams that reached the LBA semifinals.
Rome and Napoli: “I completely agree with that approach”
Banchi also discussed the changing landscape of Italian basketball ahead of the new season.
He is particularly positive about the decision by the two Rome teams and Napoli to build their projects around a strong core of Italian players.
“It’s a choice I completely agree with, following the examples of Olimpia Milano under the Armani era and Virtus Bologna under the Zanetti era.”
Banchi believes those projects demonstrate how clubs can establish themselves at the top of Italian basketball by developing a talented and promising Italian core.
He is also interested in newly promoted Verona.
“They will certainly provide an important platform for emerging players such as Loro, Zampini and Poser, who are already on the radar of the senior national team.”
Banchi wants to continue the project
Despite receiving offers from elsewhere, Banchi has chosen to continue working with the Italian national team.
“I see room for the work we started in my first season as head coach to continue successfully.“
He also stressed the importance of the Federation’s leadership and the people working alongside him.
“The leadership of president Petrucci and the support of Salvatore Trainotti and Gigi Datome will be crucial in leaving behind, at the end of this cycle, an even stronger organization capable of helping Italy achieve important goals.”
Banchi’s message is therefore clear: the work is still in its early stages, and the objective is to build an increasingly structured national team capable of competing at the highest international level.
Source: Il Corriere dello Sport
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