UDINE. Apu, there is a Super Cup to win. Tomorrow the Final Four open in Forlì and the Juventus team storms the first official trophy of the season, also challenging the cabal: from 2019 to today the Old Wild West has always made its way in the competition, without ever being able to raise the cup.
THE CHARGE OF THE COACH
The feeling is that never more than this year Udine wants to attack the Super Cup. Perhaps in previous editions the tournament did not represent a priority objective, this time Matteo Boniciolli took care of the hunger for victory at Apu. “Personally, I’d be a bit tired of finishing second, as Forrest Gump said,” said the Juventus coach at the end of the match against Stella Azzurra.
THE OPPONENT IN THE SEMIFINAL
Udine finds San Severo, but compared to the play-off challenge in May, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. The Apulians have changed coach (via Bechi, now there is Damiano Pilot, former Eurobasket Roma) and a revolutionized roster: the only player confirmed from last season is the Montenegrin Petruševski. The Giallonero captain is a well-known face for Udinese supporters, the Italian-Argentine Agustin Fabi, as good as he is physically frail. The top scorer of the Supercoppa is guard Matteo Bogliardi, a veteran of two seasons in Treviglio and so far averaging 15 points with an excellent 55% from three. From a tactical point of view, the man to keep an eye on is the American center Ed Daniel, who in the last tournament contributed to the promotion of Scafati: for him 20 points and 16 rebounds in the quarter-final won against Rieti. A good test for the long people from Udine.
THE OTHER SEMIFINAL
The Cantù-Cremona Lombard derby started between high-ranking teams. The coaches on the two benches are ex from Udine: Meo Sacchetti took over from Attilio Caja at the helm of Snaidero in the inauspicious 2008/09 season, Demis Cavina drove both Snaidero (2009/10) and Apu (2018/19) with alternating fortunes. Among the players, Travor Lacey (who will want to be regretted in the event of a final), Joseph Mobio (another ex with a few pebbles in his shoes) and Mirza Alibegovic, all three arrived in Cremona in the summer, do not need big introductions. A former Udinese also in the ranks of Cantù: the Serbian Stefan Nikolic. A decidedly interesting Final Four is expected.