The 2026 SisalClub LBA Super Cup was presented in Tortona. Gherardini: "Tortona is a trailblazer for a new era in sports facilities."
The press conference presenting the 2026 SisalClub LBA Super Cup, moderated by journalist Mino Taveri, took place this morning in the Ridotto Hall of the Tortona Civic Theater. The event, which will open the 2026-27 season, will take place at the Nova Arena on Saturday, September 19th and Sunday, September 20th.
After hosting the last four editions of the Final Eight in Turin, the Piedmont Region welcomes back great Italian basketball with the 2026 Super Cup, organized in collaboration with FIP Piemonte.
"First of all, I would like to thank the Derthona Basket Club, the Gavio family, and President Marco Picchi for expressing their desire several months ago to host the LBA Super Cup, the inaugural event of the new 26/27 season," said LBA President Maurizio Gherardini . "Ultimately, it's a way to further establish Tortona's position on the Italian Serie A basketball map, with the strong support for this candidacy represented by its new facility and the entire Cittadella dello Sport."
Being in Tortona has a twofold significance: in a country struggling to develop its resources due to the lack of sports facilities of the same caliber as so many other nations, the Super Cup was awarded to the most recently inaugurated facility among those hosting the LBA championship. And it represents a trailblazer for those to come in Bologna, Cantù, and Venice. We are entering a new phase in our offering of sports and entertainment; many clubs, including historic ones, are about to experience a significant moment of renewed entrepreneurial vision for their clubs. This is already a reality here in Tortona, thanks to the investments and passion of someone like Beniamino Gavio and his family.
The Super Cup weekend is even more significant for the LBA because it marks the official debut of our new title sponsor, SisalClub. This is a prestigious partnership that we will present in more detail soon. However, all the conditions are in place to work together with SisalClub toward achieving the goals we have set for the future growth of the LBA. Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to the Municipality and institutions of Tortona, who have put together a wonderful calendar of events, entertainment, and local engagement to complement the two-day Super Cup. The importance of institutional support for sporting events is also demonstrated by the strong ties with the Piedmont Region. And it's wonderful to see how the municipalities of this region share the same philosophies toward sports, especially basketball.
TV SCHEDULE FOR THE 2026 LBA SISALCLUB SUPER CUP. THE ENTIRE COMPETITION WILL BE BROADCAST FREE ON LBATV
The entire 2026 SisalClub LBA Super Cup will be available for free on LBATV , on pay TV on Sky Sport Basket and free-to-air on CIELO, offering fans a variety of ways to follow all the matches of the competition.
THE CALENDAR OF THE 2026 LBA SISALCLUB SUPER CUP
SEMIFINALS
Saturday 19 September 2026
Bertram Derthona Tortona – Umana Reyer Venice 17.00 pm LBATV – SKY SPORT BASKET – CIELO
Armani Olimpia Milano – Virtus Bologna 7:45 PM LBATV – SKY SPORT BASKET – CIELO
FINAL
Sunday, September 20, 2026, 5:00 PM LBATV – SKY SPORT BASKET – CIELO
THE SPEAKERS' WORDS
Andrea Bargnani, LBA Executive Advisor: "The Super Cup is a trophy that carries a special weight, because for several months it represents a team's only real chance to win something. As a player, I experienced it even through a defeat, and I remember everything that came afterward very well: the disappointment, the hard work in the gym, and 20 days of intense training. This shows how deeply it's felt within the teams. For fans, it's also one of the first moments they can see new signings in action and understand the direction a season can take. More generally, I believe that the growth of Italian basketball also necessarily depends on infrastructure: there can't be real development without adequate facilities, and Tortona is definitely one of those. Investment, planning, entrepreneurship, and ambitious clubs are also needed, but the structure remains a fundamental foundation. Seeing new arenas and increasingly organized facilities is therefore a very positive sign for our entire basketball industry."
Marco Tiso, Managing Director of Sisal Italy: "For SisalClub, the Supercoppa represents the beginning of a journey we've chosen to build together with Lega Basket Serie A, the clubs, and, above all, the fans. Italian basketball is an extraordinary expression of what we believe in; it's a great national movement that maintains a strong bond with its communities and territories, capable of transforming sporting passion into a truly shared experience. It's precisely this dimension we want to enhance, providing content, experiences, and new participation opportunities to contribute to the growth of Italian basketball. We want to bring our capacity for innovation and creativity to bear, launching initiatives that generate engagement, bring people together, and amplify the power of sport. For us, this partnership means becoming part of this community, and the Supercoppa will be the first opportunity to share with fans this passion, which we want to help grow."
Alessandro Giacomini, Managing Director of Infront Italy: "The Super Cup is the first major event of the new sporting season, and we are particularly pleased to welcome SisalClub as the new Title Sponsor of this competition. This is an important addition to the roster of LBA partners, which has chosen to fully invest in the project, with activations designed to engage the public and make the event experience even more spectacular. Alongside this new partnership, we are proud to count on the presence of companies that continue their journey alongside LBA and confirm the platform's solidity and attractiveness. Our goal as Official Advisor to the League is to create concrete opportunities for sponsors to gain visibility, engage, and build relationships. With this in mind, in addition to ensuring a cross-sector team on-site to support LBA and the sponsors, we will host a workshop dedicated to partners on the Sunday of the final. This workshop is designed as a meeting and networking opportunity for companies, but also as an opportunity to share developments in online and offline communication and to demonstrate how these tools can further enhance partnerships, creating value for all stakeholders in the system, and especially for all stakeholders." basketball fans, who will have the opportunity to experience a great event on and off the court."
Federico Chiodi, Mayor of Tortona : "Hosting the LBA Super Cup in Tortona is a source of great pride and further confirms our city's sporting vocation and the Nova Arena's ability to host events of the highest national standard. We wanted this event to engage not only the fans attending the games, but the entire community, through a program of collateral events designed to bring basketball and sport to the heart of the city. I thank LBA, Derthona Basket, Cittadella dello Sport, and everyone who contributed to the organization: it will be a great opportunity to experience sport together and, at the same time, to introduce Tortona and our region to all who come for this important event."
Davide Balena, Head of Major Events for the Piedmont Region: "The Piedmont Region invests in major sporting events because they represent not only an extraordinary showcase, but also an investment capable of generating a tangible return for the entire region. The Turin Final Eight is an example of how crucial it is to not simply host an event, but to build a relationship over time that allows it to grow year after year: we're now in our fourth edition and are already working on a fifth together with the Lega Basket. Events like this allow us to promote, alongside sport, Piedmont's excellent tourism and food and wine, generating a revenue stream that exceeds the investment made by the Region. Our goal is also to increasingly involve the entire region, without concentrating major events exclusively on Turin: Tortona is a concrete example. Piedmont has enormous opportunities and potential, and we must be able to maximize them."
Marco Picchi, President of Bertram Derthona Tortona: “It's a great source of pride for the city to host an event like the Super Cup. I say this as a Tortona native, a former Derthona player, and now as the club's president. When I think back to where we started, to get to this point, hosting the tournament that awards the first official trophy of the season for Serie A teams in our city, it seems like one of those childhood dreams. Derthona Basket has made great strides in recent years, thanks to the vision and passion of the Gavio family, who have done so much for the club and the local area, both on and off the court. Anyone who drives along the highway today and looks toward the Cittadella dello Sport, toward the Nova Arena that will host this competition, understands what it's all about. Moreover, having earned, with last season's results, the right to be among the four teams competing for the trophy, makes it all even more magical.”
Christos Stavropoulos, General Manager of Armani Olimpia Milano: "We're very happy to be in Tortona and play the Super Cup in such an important facility. It's still a delicate moment in our preparations because, like many other teams, we've only been able to work with the full squad for a few days following our players' international commitments. We'll still try to be in the best possible condition, because the Super Cup is a title, and every title is important to us. This summer we've made a lot of changes, trying to build a more balanced team and a group capable of combining new players with experienced players. We want to embark on an important journey, both in Italy and in the Euroleague, and we'll naturally try to get off to a good start by trying to win this competition."
FREE SALE OPEN FOR SINGLE RACE DAYS
In addition to the season ticket, which allows you to attend all the matches of the 2026 SisalClub LBA Super Cup, the press conference announced the possibility of purchasing tickets for individual matchdays.
BUY YOUR TICKET FOR THE 2026 LBA SISALCLUB SUPERCUP HERE.
ACTIVATE THE NATIONAL YOUTH CARD PROMOTION
All National Youth Card holders will be able to access a special rate for tickets in the Grandstand sections facing the bench and behind the bench. This is a special opportunity for Card holders to experience the 2026 SisalClub LBA Super Cup up close at discounted prices.
Information and purchasing methods are available at the following link: https://bit.ly/Sco26_orgsocial
