Riso Scotti, the goal is to be among the top 8 for the privileged lane to safety

Basketball. Serie B at the start, realism prevails in society after a difficult summer also due to the injury of the two play teams

the mission

The declared goal is to remain in Serie B. Riso Scotti, who tomorrow begins the championship with the prohibitive away match in Livorno (Libertas side), approaches a transitional season, after the corporate tribulations of the summer, with the Omnia reality one step away from its disappearance , in which the highest aspiration is to return to the top 12, thus avoiding the last four places in group A which would mean relegation to the new Interregional category.

“My dream is a placement among the top eight – explains sports director Alberto Rai – if the first four in fact play the promotion, those from the fifth to the twelfth face the play out at the limit of five games and who arrives in the first eight has any beautiful in the house. My personal ranking? Legnano, Livorno on the Libertas side and Vigevano, also for the market they made, for the first three places; then Omegna, Pielle Livorno, the two Montecatini, Piombino and Sangiorgese. We return to the next group, ready to have our say anyway ». Bad luck is haunting the team from Pavia, especially for the control room: Ezio Gallizzi, who should have started in the first training session, fractured the fourth metatarsal of his left foot, and only next week he will start running, while his deputy Andrea Epifani first sprained his right ankle and the other night also a severe bruise on his right shoulder, ending up against the support of the basket, which will keep him stationary until next week. «At that point – Rai specifies – we signed Oboe in a rush. Our pre-season was conditioned by the injury to the two directors, without “head” it is difficult to play. It was hard right from the start, hitting rock bottom at the PalaBasletta di Vigevano in the Super Cup. But that blow helped us because from that moment we started to grow ».

Bunches cautious

Coach Alberto Mazzetti is not unbalanced on the seasonal perspectives. “I could not even do it – explains the Varese coach – since we started the work I have never had the whole team, not to mention that the play is the player who in the moment of difficulty shows the way, in addition to the fact that he has to run his teammates, while we will go to Livorno with Oboe who arrived on Thursday and will take the field after having undergone two training sessions with the team. Francesco will give us an important hand, his presence will be an extra incentive to go to Tuscany and try to win ».

The preseason was conditioned by the problems in directing. «But in any case I consider it positive – says Mazzetti – we had to know each other and we had to learn how to do it through the mistakes and difficulties that have accompanied us since the day of the meeting. In the last two weeks the situation has improved, because the two victories were the result of our growth. Something good has been seen, also in terms of character, as well as of play. Now we will go to Livorno without feeling sorry for ourselves, but determined to do my best ». –