Basket A2 Cividale-Udine, the derby that ignites Friuli

There hasn’t been a job for ten days. “If I had two sports halls I would fill them without problems” says Davide Micalich, guide of the Cividale Eagles who on Wednesday at 20.45 host Apu Udine in the A2 derby which is an event in Friuli. A basketball festival, led by the president of the regional committee Giovanni Adami who rejoices, because a derby 15 kilometers away is a wonderful sporting event. There are 2850 places available, pulverized in an instant. The APU has had 450, and the club has taken 250 of them, making them available to its most ardent fans who, for the occasion, will mount on a special rail (an agreement made with the Fuc, Ferrovie Udine-Cividale), a extra ride, which will take them from Udine to their destination and bring them back. One of the many ideas of a club that also has a women’s section (in A2) and never stops thinking with the volcanic owner Alessandro Pedone. In the grandstand there will be many old glories of Friulian basketball: from Lorenzon to the Savio brothers, from Pressacco to Bardini.

Quarrels and rivalries

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A heated rivalry cannot be missing in a derby. But here’s something more: Because Alessandro Pedone and Davide Micalich have spent a part of their basketball life together. In 2013 they started the Apu project in C and three years later they arrived in A2. President and CEO. Then, as sometimes happens between husband and wife, they quarreled. And they still don’t talk. Because Davide wanted to manage and in 2020 he ended up making a team of him which in June, under the guidance of maestro Stefano Pillastrini, landed in A2 after a first failed attempt in the final against Fabriano. While the APU, which has entrusted its ambitious project to the Triestine “guy” Matteo Boniciolli, after having triumphed in the Italian Cup, saw the declared dream of going to Heaven vanish with the advantage of first place at the last corner against Verona. Serie A. Now he’s trying again with a squadron in which he has even included Raphael Gaspardo who, for this championship, would be like another American. But everything suggests that it will still be very hard. Because the road is long and full of obstacles.

Targets

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While Cividale’s Eagles only have the goal of salvation, but with heart and soul they have already won six games (against eight of their rivals). And Pillastrini has a son of an artist at home, like Jack dell’Agnello and the eighteen year old Enrico Micalich, a 190cm guard, son of Davide. The two project leaders would give anything to win such a challenge. Boniciolli plays detached: “A match like any other, the derby is with Trieste”. What matters is that tomorrow will be a real sports evening that ignites the enthusiasm of those who love basketball. Today the Carnera is often full, while the Cividale plant boasts 1100 subscribers (and 165 partners) in the town of the gubana (typical sweet) of ten thousand inhabitants. Apu, structured as a top league club (with former players Graberi and Sala active behind the scenes), aims high, but to get there it must put the soul and desire of its passionate owner who never to invest.