The coach from Pavia abruptly closed the Varese experience guaranteed the stay in A1 of the Emilians starting from a desperate situation
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Attilio Caja hits yet another miracle. The coach from Pavia, called urgently to the bedside of a dying Reggio Emilia in place of Antimo Martino, saves the Emilian team from relegation, even touching the playoffs.
The most beautiful victory
«I signed with Reggio 40 days ago to save the season – explains Caja, 60 – the company was almost desperate, because the Reggio players came from a negative moment and were morally downcast, as often happens when it comes to the change of coach. Not only that, but there was little time to change the story, since I had not even six weeks, the period of a preseason, in which you study the group and then start working on it. I rolled up my sleeves, we won games that we could not lose, such as the direct clash with Pesaro or at home with Varese, even if my boys made the masterpiece by storming Cantù, in a challenge where those who lost would be relegated. I congratulated my players several times because they made themselves available with head, body and heart. To push the stages of the race to safety we have increased the doses of work and no one has taken a step back ».
Caja, who will remain in Reggio again next year, had landed in Emilia on Tuesday 30 March, two days after the first bench in the match against Fortitudo Bologna. “We lost against the Bolognese because they canceled our extra basket – he says – the next day, Saturday, we left to go to Romania to play in a bubble in the eighth and quarter-finals of the Fiba Europe Cup. We spent a week together in hotel and it was decisive because the team compacted, we worked hard and talked a lot, I discovered a group that wanted to be trained and was available to change the season ».
With each new franchise, Caja earns the malicious nickname of “Claw”, distorting the name, for his way of coaching, but in general his teams turn for the better. Secrets? «You have to have clear ideas – Caja replies with a smile – I arrive, I make the diagnosis, then I start the therapy and the patient gets well. It is clear that it presupposes a capacity for analysis which also implies experience ». Caja had started the season in Varese, where he was sacked before even making his debut in the league. «Each club is free to do what it wants – affirms the coach from Pavia elegantly – just think that teams like Juve have changed coaches who have won the championships. I have already quoted a phrase by Filippo Turati (socialist leader of the early twentieth century), “the ferocity of moralists is superior only to their profound stupidity”. I was sorry that in the end I was unable to greet so many people, but I was pleased with the certificates of esteem of the people of Varese. I am happy because Reggio offered me a new challenge, which I accepted and won with a historic club. Let’s not forget that the first play-off to go up to A2 Pavia was played in Udine against Cantine Riunite in 1982. And then signing in Reggio was my choice, with Varese I still had a year and a half of contract, which I gave up to sit down. on the Unahotels bench. However, there are still wonderful memories of Varese, where I won 75% of home games, a percentage that I would like to repeat in Reggio ». Caja always follows the Pavia teams. «Not being able to do it live – he concludes – I followed Vigevano and Pavia from the newspaper and the scoresheet. The trend is positive for a season that is truly over the top ». –