By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Two of the most important teams in Italian basketball history will remember Saturday the 14th of July 2012 with a bitter smile. The general council of Italian basketball federation decided that Treviso basket will not have the right to play at Legabasket next season and also Fortitudo Bologna is no longer affiliated with the federation.
Founded at 1932, the cross town rival of Virtus Bologna, was known for its stubborn spirit, made several Euroleague appearances and won two Italian championships at 2000 and 2005. Back in 1998 Fortitudo won its first major title, the Italian cup, with NBA legend Dominique Wilkins and former Euroleague champion with Olympiacos David Rivers on its roster. The last seasons Fortitudo was slowly sinking after its relegation in 2009 from the Serie A.
Treviso basket was known since 1981 as Benetton Treviso until the end of last season, when Benetton family decided to leave the club. The team was founded back in 1954, but got the spotlight in the nineties with Benetton’s deep pockets backing the effort to create a powerhouse. Benetton Treviso won five Italian championships and two European cups. The first championship came in 1992 when the star of the team was future Chicago Bulls starter Tony Kukoc from Croatia. As you can see in this video, the basketball personalities that are affiliated with Treviso are many and very important ones.
However both teams are suffering from financial problems. For Fortitudo it’s been an ongoing struggle the last few years and Treviso could not get a sponsor capable of backing it. There have been talks with the company Pro Gest, but not a positive result. Due to financial reasons Teramo was also excluded from next season’s Legabasket in which 16 teams will participate.