By Luca Chiabotti/ Gazzetta dello sport
What can we expect from an Italian in Istanbul? Simone Pianigiani sets his sights high and wants to make Fenerbahce Ulker a powerhouse on the European basketball scene.
He will start almost from scratch a new project with the ambition to create an new playing style for his team: “Me and Fenerbahce are starting together because also the club management is new under Kemal Dincer. We have a particular feeling about how to develop the project together. He asks me to built a team wise basketball that people can recognize as Fenerbahce style. This and the wonderful facilities of the club must be a high quality brand for our fans, not only in Turkey, but also in Europe. I have decided to leave Siena, ready to work only with the national team, before this offer came to me. However, I could not say “no” to something like this”.
It will not be a surprise if every non-Turkish player from last season roster is released, but at the moment the signing of an other integral part of Siena, point guard Bo McCalebb, doesn’t seem possible, because of the money needed for his possible transfer. In Italy it’s also rumored that Luca Dalmonte, assistant coach in National Team and Scavolini head coach, will join Pianigiani in Istanbul as his first assistant.