By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Playing together in Virtus Bologna since Daniel Hackett moved back to Italy after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, with him leaving CSKA Moscow, the 36-year-old playmaker and Marco Belinelli are stealing the show this season in black and white. However, they won’t play with Italy in the summer.
Making a guest appearance during the Quarter-Finals of the Italian Cup Final Eight in Turin, the Italian national team’s head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco spoke about the two veteran players. “I’d like to call up everybody, including Marco Belinelli, Daniel Hackett, and Awudu Abass. But it’s impossible”, he said.
“My heart widens to see Italians playing important roles in the field. When our kids have space and responsibility in clubs it’s always great news”, he then added in a comment to Tuttosport. Gianmarco Pozzecco called up 15 names – including EuroLeague players like Nicolò Melli, Alessandro Pajola, and Achille Polonara – for the upcoming 2025 EuroBasket Qualifiers games against Turkey and Hungary.
Ending up in the Top 8 of both the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket and the 2023 FIBA World Cup, respectively losing against France and the USA, Italy will now try to go back to the Olympic Games by going through the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico.
Representing the Italian national team, Marco Belinelli and Daniel Hackett were called up together for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, the 2017 FIBA EuroBasket, the 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the 2015 FIBA EuroBasket, and the 2011 FIBA EuroBasket.
The two won the 2022 EuroCup and back-to-back Italian Supercups together, while they’re now fighting for a qualification to the EuroLeague Playoffs. Virtus Bologna won’t conclude the season with the domestic treble, as they lost to Reggio Emilia in the Italian Cup Quarter-Finals.
Finalmente, eccoci di nuovo 💙
Il CT Gianmarco Pozzecco ha annunciato i 𝟏𝟓 Azzurri per il raduno di Pesaro, in preparazione ai match con 🇹🇷 e 🇭🇺 di Qualificazione a @EuroBasket 2025 🔜#Italbasket | #EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/06Jqn2eNM1
— Italbasket (@Italbasket) January 30, 2024
PHOTO CREDIT: FIBA EuroBasket 2017