Basketball interviews president Petrucci: ‘Pozzecco is a great coach’

The starting point of the interview with Gianni Petrucci has a name and a surname: Gianmarco Pozzecco. The president of Federbasket wants to start with him: “The national team is experiencing a real boom: enthusiasm, support, popularity. And our coach is the protagonist”.

And to think that initially his choice was criticized.

“Put it this way. I was sorry not to have renewed Sacchetti’s contract, but – in agreement with the general manager of the blue teams Salvatore Trainotti – the national team needed something different”.

“There is no doubt, the players want to wear the blue. Pozzecco is not only spirit, character: he is a great coach, he knows how to train a team. And he even passed me: on the street they recognize him more than me … ”.

In the summer there will be the World Cup. With the presence of Banchero, where are you?

“I can’t say yes or no, there is hope but I can’t promise anything”.

You go to the World Cup with what objective?

“Obviously the World Cup means the Olympics for us. There are only two places but we know that then there will be the Pre-Olympic. The Olympics are important to all sports. Certainly for our sport it means enormous competition. Football is the first popular sport in the world, then cricket thanks to India, then basketball. We also notice it in Italy. As well as the number of members”.

But with Covid, hadn’t there been the mini-basketball landslide?

“We have recovered, now we are only 2 percent down, the federation – certified data – which has lost fewer members”.

He is satisfied for the national team, but we are without Italians in the Euroleague playoffs.

“A sore point, sorry to all. The cups are important, for heaven’s sake, but the true mirror of the movement is the national team. But let me tell you something? In the past I had said that I could no longer go to Bologna due to a hostile environment. I have to say that everything was cleared up also thanks to Luca Baraldi, who I’ve known since my football days. I would like to bring the national team to the new sports palace”.

How are the accounts of Italian basketball?

“All companies are in good standing.”

Instead, you experience with concern the entry into force of the law on sports work on July 1st.

“They are sacrosanct and just rules, but they will create some problems for the federations”.

Female professionalism?

“We are available. The Football Federation was good at intercepting public resources three years ago. Let’s hope for new funding. And let’s hope that this sentence does not reinforce a widespread belief. Let’s face it: we federal presidents are unpleasant. Great athletes are praised. Then when it comes to presidents, we are the idiots of the village”.

Are you referring to the mandate limit?

“I don’t agree with the law. But I’ll clarify right away: in any case I wouldn’t run for office (the mandate expires after Paris 2024, ed). If my health helps me, I have various proposals in other sectors”.

But why is this limit wrong?

“But if we are autonomous, if we are democratically elected, if we are private…”

Individuals with a lot of public money. And then someone exaggerates: a law that destroys Italian sport…

“We are not indispensable, I know. But with that limit would Luciano Rossi ever become world president of clay pigeon shooting? And if the Ryder Cup takes place in Italy, isn’t it also thanks to Franco Chimenti? Not to mention how much Malagò gave to the victory in Milan-Cortina”.

Minister Abodi mentioned the possibility of possibly raising the guaranteed minimum without fragmenting contributions too much. Agree?

“Certain. Today there is confusion between Coni and Sport and Health. Let’s establish once and for all what one does and what the other does”.

Contributions to sports bodies and federations who must make them?

“The criteria must come from Coni. Then the Department can also proceed with the payment. And it is not a scandal to have a little treasure to balance”.

But then what should Sport and Health do?

“What it was born for: school, the health of non-competitors. You think about cycling and bike culture in cities. No demonization of Sport and Health”.

Speaking of promotions, how is your 3 for 3 going?

“Big time! We asked for the pre-Olympic for 2024 at the Foro Italico. Abodi has promised his commitment, we are ready ”.