By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
Virtus Bologna will head into its upcoming EuroLeague clash against FC Barcelona dealing with significant injury setbacks and tactical adjustments following its Italian Cup campaign.
The club has confirmed that both Alessandro Pajola and Daniel Hackett will be unavailable. Hackett underwent medical examinations after sustaining an injury during the Italian Cup quarterfinal against Napoli: tests revealed a first-degree strain of the left gluteus maximus and the veteran guard is expected to be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Head coach Dusko Ivanovic acknowledged the challenge ahead but emphasized the importance of internal improvements over external concerns.
“After the Italian Cup, we have a EuroLeague game against one of the biggest teams in Europe,” Ivanovic said. “Right now, I believe we must focus mainly on ourselves. That means solving the problems we are encountering at the point guard position. We need to find solutions and perform better.”
Ivanovic stressed the need for renewed defensive intensity and a faster offensive approach. “We must return to being aggressive on defense and try to play better in transition. We should aim to get 10 to 15 easy points, because at the moment playing five-on-five basketball is difficult for us. Our objective in this game is to be aggressive and try to run.”
Center Aliou Diarra echoed his coach’s determination, expressing confidence in the team’s preparation despite recent setbacks.
“We’re happy because we’ve trained well,” Diarra said ahead of the matchup. “We’re ready — every one of us is prepared to give our maximum. We lost to Barcelona in the first meeting, so we want to try to win this time, even though we know how strong and experienced they are.”
Virtus enters the contest after being eliminated from the Italian Cup, but Diarra insisted the team is focused on moving forward. “That’s sport. We have to keep going. Our goal is to redeem ourselves for the first game against Barcelona and for this year’s Italian Cup.”