On Saturday 14th September Libertas Livorno and Fortitudo Bologna bring the A2 series to Castelfiorentino for the trophy named after the fathers of yellow and blue basketball.
The 2nd “Nedo Betti and Mario Gilardetti” Trophy reopens the PalaBetti to the glories of the “Vasco Martini” Trophy, which for 23 years has attracted the greats of Italian and international basketball to Castelfiorentino. On Saturday 14 September, to pay homage to Nedo Betti and Mario Gilardetti, the founding fathers of Castelfiorentino basketball, two of the protagonists of the next A2 series championship will arrive, Libertas Livorno 1947 and Fortitudo Bologna, who are preparing to give all fans a real basketball show and more. Tip-off scheduled for 7 pm for an event included in the official pre-season of the two clubs, organized by Abc Castelfiorentino with the patronage of the Italian Basketball Federation and the Municipality of Castelfiorentino and with the contribution of in3c Srl.
THE PROTAGONISTS
A match that is about to bring great basketball back to Castelfiorentino, between real stars of the national and international scene and players who were born and raised in Castello before taking flight. And here every reference is absolutely not coincidental: the PalaBetti is preparing to welcome back Luca Tozzi, protagonist of the promotion to A2 of Libertas Livorno, now an undisputed idol of the Livorno fans and confirmed at the court of coach Marco Andreazza, who matured in yellow and blue and made his debut at senior level before saying goodbye to Castelfiorentino in the summer of 2019, the one that marked his debut in Serie B.
Among the most anticipated Amaranth players, the two Americans undoubtedly stand out: the guard Adrian Banks, who returned to Italy after the last season in Israel, who boasts a prominent career around the country between Varese, Brindisi, Trieste and also Fortitudo, and the playmaker Quinton Hooker, who arrives in Italy after the experiences that saw him as a protagonist in Poland, Hungary, Germany, Israel and France. Another luxury addition is the Argentine playmaker with an Italian background Ariel Filloy, with a past in Serie A with Milan, Reggio Emilia, Venice, Avellino, Pesaro and Tortona, and also in the Azzurra jersey, alongside the arrival in Amaranth of the power forward Nazareno Italiano, among other things an opponent of Abc when he wore the Use Empoli jersey, who arrives in Livorno after ten years of experience in A2 during which he also wore the colors of Fortitudo. Among the confirmed players, some of the great protagonists of last season, including two flags like Tommaso Fantoni and Francesco Fratto and the MVP of the playoff finals Gregorio Allinei.
Moving on to Fortitudo Bologna, the list of achievements is enough to honor the Effe: two league titles (1999/2000 and 2004/2005), one Italian Cup (1998), two Italian Super Cups (1998 and 2005) and two LNP Super Cups (2016 and 2018). After coming within a whisker of the dream of returning to the top division, shattered in game 4 of the playoff final won by Trapani at the PalaDozza, Fortitudo has restarted with the new coach Devis Cagnardi. Among others, three of the new Bologna signings are highly anticipated, starting with center Marco Cusin, who boasts 115 appearances for the national team and 4 participations in the European Championships, in addition to a career spent in Serie A between Trieste, Verona, Pesaro, Cantù, Sassari, Avellino, Milan, Turin and Caserta. The other Azzurro at the court of Effe, with experience in the national teams of Simone Pianigiani and Ettore Messina, is the winger Fabio Mian, with a history in the top division with Varese, Cremona, Pistoia, Trento, Trieste and Trapani. From the USA, passing through the last three seasons in Brescia, Kenny Gabriel arrives in Bologna, a power forward with a career spent in the top European championships, including the Greek one with Panathinaikos Athens, where he won the title of champion of Greece for two consecutive years, and several participations in the Euroleague and EuroCup.
Also preparing to wear the Effe jersey are playmaker Gherardo Sabatini, who boasts an important past at the top of A2, and winger Leonardo Battistini, last season also in A2 in Vigevano. Among the confirmations, then, one name above all: Pietro Aradori. The winger from Brescia, a career spent at the highest levels in the Italian championship and in European competitions, protagonist of many feats in the Azzurra jersey, is currently recovering after surgery following the injury suffered in game-1 of the playoff final. Also confirmed is center Deshawn Freeman, one of the main protagonists of last season.
If there is a father of Castellana basketball, the name and surname can only be his: Nedo Betti. First coach, then manager, a life spent for his family, work and for Abc Castelfiorentino. And it is no coincidence that the sports hall is named after him. It is difficult, indeed impossible, to try to describe Nedo, so we want to let him speak by reporting a short interview published in the book “40 years of basketball together, a 61-year long story”. The question was: how can today’s manager have also been a coach? And in Nedo’s answer there is all of Nedo, but not only that: there is also the spirit that has always guided Abc.
“It’s very simple. I am and I was a manager of the ABC, and I felt like a manager. But it was the period in which a manager was called to be a ticket collector, a bartender and if necessary also a coach, or anything else. I was lucky enough to count on the friendship of two great coaches, Gianfranco Benvenuti and Nicola Salerni, who pushed me to participate in two coaching courses: first the one for student coach and then the one for national coach, directed by the great Costanzo of Stella Azzurra then in Serie A. I participated in the two courses with great passion but I always had the doubt that without the help of Gianfranco and Nicola they would never have given me the membership card. The second year, together with me, there was also a nun from Montecatini: well, I must admit that we were both quite ‘poor’. Despite this we were promoted and over time we always thought that… the ways of the Lord are truly infinite”.
The president. There is no other way to define him, Mario Gilardetti. The person who for decades has led the Castellano club and seen so many boys and girls grow, carrying the yellow and blue flag far and wide throughout Tuscany and the peninsula. In fact, the multipurpose gym strongly desired and built by Abc was named after him. But how can we tell the story of Mario? Impossible. For this reason, we will also let him speak for us, because his words are the ones that better than any other allow us to truly grasp the essence of Abc and the values on which Abc was born and has grown to this day. We therefore report his greeting, which opened the Yearbook 2005 like this.
“For me, as for all of us, the season that has just ended has been wonderful. We have had some very good moments and some very difficult ones, which we have been able to overcome brilliantly only with the strength of the group. We have focused on young people and the choice has been a winning one. This is the path we must follow to give our company, our fans and the Castelfiorentino team the satisfaction and results they deserve or that can generate new and great emotions. I will never tire of repeating and affirming that in order to aspire to positive results, serious and engaging work by everyone is essential, even those who occupy roles that are often, and wrongly, considered secondary. I will never tire of repeating and affirming that honesty, loyalty, respect for opponents are essential, on and off the field. It is with our example that the 400 boys who accompany us on our journey will grow quickly and well”.
TICKETS
Cost: 15 euro numbered – 10 euro grandstand – 5 euro Abc Castelfiorentino, Basket Castelfiorentino, Gialloblu Castelfiorentino members
How to purchase: directly at the ticket office on the day of the match; by booking by writing to info@abccastelfiorentino.it until 12:00 on September 13; the company will take charge of the request indicating the procedure to follow.
Source: Abc Castelfiorentino / Basket Castelfiorentino / Gialloblu Castelfiorentino – Press Office
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