By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After the 17th league championship in team history on Tuesday, Virtus Segafredo Bologna president and owner, Massimo Zanetti, talked about the next season, confirming the retirement of former NBA champion and team captain Marco Belinelli.
The 39-year-old Italian winger spent the last five years of his career with Vu Nere, after 13 years and 925 appearances in the NBA.
“Next year, we will have a younger team. We know Tornike Shengelia is leaving and Marco Belinelli will retire, so the goal will be to rejuvenate this group,” mentioned 77-year-old Zanetti, also confirming the departure of 33-year-old Tornike Shengelia.
“I love Shengelia. I little while ago, I told him and his wife that I would visit them in Barcelona. He replied that he will be waiting for us there,” he added on Shengelia’s decision to sign with FC Barcelona, which was already reported by Eurohoops, “It was a life choice. He is turning 33, received an offer he couldn’t refuse, and decided to return to Spain.”
Among adjustments to the roster for the team coached by Dusko Ivanovic, 27-year-old Zac Seljaas will be moving in from FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets, as confirmed by Eurohoops.
“We will probably also expand the roster, because we have two real competitions ahead of us, with 30 EuroLeague games and 30 domestic league games. It will be a grueling schedule,” Zanetti talked about the 2025-26 editions of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and Italy’s LBA UnipolSai.
“We need young, strong, and solid players,” he continued, “We are on the market, looking into some opportunities, and we evaluate who really wants to join Virtus. I only want those players who want to wear this jersey. We hope to build a team as strong or even stronger.”
LBA Playoffs
Quarterfinals (best of five)
Virtus Segafredo Bologna – Umana Reyer Venice 3-2 (90-85, 77-75, 82-89, 78-84, 86-84)
Dolomiti Energia Trento – EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 1-3 (70-73, 70-67, 79-107, 82-89)
Germani Brescia – Trieste 3-1 (89-77, 92-103, 80-70, 92-88)
Trapani Shark – UnaHotels Reggio Emilia 3-0 (80-75, 102-88, 90-83)
Semifinals (best of five)
Virtus Segafredo Bologna – EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 3-1 (68-67, 66-85, 78-68, 84-78)
Trapani Shark – Germani Brescia 0-3 (92-93, 77-85, 86-92)
Finals (best of five)
Virtus Segafredo Bologna – Germani Brescia 3-0 (90-87, 75-65, 96-74)
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net