The coach recalls: «In the last ten years only Pistoia and Trieste have succeeded». Martelossi: “The base of the team was good, we reinforced ourselves in key roles”
UDINE. A year ago, on the day of the presentation he said: “I don’t promise to win, but that my team will become a team this yes.” Matteo Boniciolli kept his word. The Apu Old Wild West in the space of a couple of months became a granite block that only Covid folded without breaking.
Today, which starts with a new version, the coach goes further: «The goal is clear. When I lost the final with Fortitudo I thought that group deserved a second chance. Here in Udine we have included five new players and the veterans to build a team identity in advance ».
The goal, therefore, is to return to the final, perhaps relying on a different epilogue: “If we get there, I’d like to do it with the whole team.” The funnel, however, as Boniciolli defines it, is very narrow: «In the last ten years only two teams, after losing the final, have replayed the promotion the following season: Pistoia and Trieste. It is history that says that the undertaking is extremely difficult ».
Very difficult but not impossible, especially if the Old Wild West will be able to team up quickly. «The first signs are positive», underlines Boniciolli who, after recalling Mobio, Deangeli and Schina, the three young players launched by Udine last season and who will be protagonists in other A and A2 teams, focuses on other singles.
The first is Pellegrino, whom the coach never fails to solicit in training: «He is a quality player who last season gave his best only in the last month. Before, he had not performed according to his potential and this meant that I tugged a bit at Nana Foulland’s neck, who in fact in the end came a little tired ».
The second player is Nobile: «Vito is sometimes too good. The wandering balls are taken by the most aggressive boy, not the most polite one. Here I expect him to complete his “nasty” process ».
Perhaps helped by the rest of the team, a team that the head of the technical area Alberto Martelossi draws as follows: «We started from a good base trying to intervene where we thought we could improve it in key roles such as play and 4.
We did it by choosing Italians: Cappelletti, who with Giuri form a very well matched couple, and Esposito and Ebeling who complete the wing department already made up of Antonutti and Italiano ».
Walters, under the basket, has different characteristics from Foulland: «His presence under the basket will be decisive». Boniciolli alongside underlines: “Now he weighs 125 kg, in two weeks he will weigh seven less and will run better than he already does”.
The coach closes with a dig at Cantù’s colleague, Sodini: «Our group is very competitive: there is a relegated team whose coach said he had already won the championship, two finalists like us and Turin and then other teams like Mantua, Treviglio and Orzinuovi which have strengthened. Nobody will roll out red carpets for us. To win we will have to prepare to win ». –