Italbasket's historic first time in Tortona. Mayor Chiodi's excitement, Gavio's pride, and the compliments of FIP General Secretary Bertea.
In today's Italbasket press conference on the eve of Italy-Iceland in the Nova Arena in Tortona, valid as the opening match for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers in Qatar, the Azzurri - present at the table with coach Luca Banchi, co-captain Amedeo Tessitori, the head of the delegation Luigi Datome and the General Secretary of the FIP, Maurizio Bertea - were the speakers of the mayor Federico Chiodi and the owner of Derthona Basket, Benjamin Gavio, in addition to the presence in the audience of the president and the CEO of the Juventus Club, Marco Picchi e Alberto Pernigotti, and the CEO of Gestione Cittadella, Alessandro Gandolfo.
The Mayor's statements
Il first citizen of Tortona revealed his excitement for the event that the city is preparing to experience tomorrow: "It has never happened that the national team played within the municipal territory of Tortona, so it is a historic day for our community", he began Nails. Clearly, this is an opportunity afforded by the enormous generosity of the Gavio family, who strongly desired this sports facility here in their territory, enriching it. And it is also thanks to the efforts of our team, Derthona Basket, which excites us greatly and has given us the opportunity to further develop the passion for this sport that we have within our city. Tomorrow will certainly be very exciting, I can't wait to see the game. Having the Italian national team in Tortona is certainly a great responsibility. We will cheer with great enthusiasm, and the sold-out numbers are absolutely evident. There will be many Tortona residents tomorrow, many people from our area, along with other fans from our country. Good luck to the boys, it's an important opportunity for us to qualify for the World Cup, and I hope the fans will get the satisfaction they deserve. Fans who will be able to reach the Cittadella very easily,” he emphasizes, “thanks to the free shuttles provided. Therefore, I would like to point out that for those coming from outside, there is parking available, and we have already communicated this as a priority.” The Municipality and Derthona too, so we could get to the match on time. So, thank you all so much and good luck."
The owner of Derthona Basket
gavio: “I'm very happy and I welcome you because having you here is a source of great pride for us. I thank President Petrucci, General Secretary Bertea, Coach Banchi, Gigi Datome, and I ask Tex [Tessitori] to extend a welcome to all the boys, because you're the ones who go out on the field and make us have fun. Or suffer, it depends (laughs, ed.)… For us, it's a very important occasion because we're a small town, and the fact that the national team is here makes us proud and truly fills us with satisfaction. And it probably also makes us think we've done something good for this sport, for the community, for the young kids. We hope this arena, the Facility, and this organization become a meeting place for our community. I also wish you the best of luck tomorrow.”
The Secretary General of the FIP
The Secretary The place He praised the Cittadella dello Sport, the Nova Arena, and the facilities, which have been made available to Italy: "Beyond the fact that the national team is very pleased and proud to be here, I think this is truly a magnificent example of infrastructure in a country that clearly suffers terribly from a lack of infrastructure, not just in the sporting arena. Having a Cittadella dello Sport that is open to civil society is a tangible sign of the possibility of rethinking certain values, the desire to be together, and community. We read every day about the isolation of young people, the difficulties, and the fragmentation of every aspect. Having such a beautiful and open infrastructure can contribute to society. Everyone has worked really well, and we hope to live up to the spectacle the players will put on the field."
(photo credit: FIP)
