Eve of Iceland-Italy. TomorrowFriday 22 Novemberthe Azzurri challenge the hosts. The one that will be staged at Laugardalholl Sport Center in Reykjavik all hours 20.30 italiane (7.30pm local live on DAZN and Sky Sport Uno, Arena and Now) will be the first of two matches against the Scandinavians awaiting the “return” in Reggio Emilia Monday 25 November (ore 20.30, live DAZN, Sky Sport Uno e Now). PalaBigi already Sold-Out.
After the two victories last February against Turkey in Pesaro (87-80) and Hungary in Szombathely (62-83), coach’s boys Gianmarco Pozzecco they are called to a treacherous journey. This is illustrated by the recent history of the matches between Italy and Iceland and above all by the difficulties encountered by the technical staff in assembling a roster which, between absences and injuries, has had to undergo several adjustments in recent days. After the package In fact, Davide Casarin’s also arrived from John Petrucelli, stopped by a sprained ankle in the last training session before the flight to Reykjavik. The contemporaneity of the international calendars did the rest and so the coach will have three debutants in the squad: Grant Basile, Federico Poser e Riccardo Rossato. Three debuts that will be accompanied by the experience of Marco Spissu, Captain for the occasion thanks to his 57 appearances, Amedeo Weavers (53) e Michele Vitali (40).
Grant Basileborn in Pewaukee, Wisconsin but with a Sicilian great-grandfather, currently plays in A2 at Acqua San Bernardo Cantù averaging 18.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in the league. Two years ago the experience with the “Green Team”, a sort of experimental national team led by coach Edoardo Casalone with the technical supervision of Poz. For him two double doubles, both with 19 points and 11 rebounds, in the two friendlies against experimental Spain in Torrejon de Ardoz.
The Azzurri is nothing new for the Venetians Riccardo Rossato e Federico Poser, who boast several appearances in the Youth Selections. For Rossato, from this year to the newly promoted Pallacanestro Trapani, three European Championships (Under 20 in 2016, Under 18 in 2014 and Under 16 in 2012) with also an Under 18 3×3 World Cup in 2013. For Poser, this year at Vanoli Cremona, an Under 20 European Championship in 2019 and the meeting in Trento last summer.
Tomorrow’s match will be the fourth in the history of the two national teams. At the EuroBasket in Berlin in 2015 the Azzurri won 71-64 with 21 points from Alessandro Gentile and 12 from Marco Belinelli. The subsequent ones, curiously a back to back like the one in recent days, in Hafnarfjordur (suburb of Reykjavik due to the unavailability of the main arena) and Bologna with an away defeat (107-105 after extra time) and a victory (95-87 at Paladozza) in February of 2022 as part of the qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup.
The constant in the Icelandic house is coach Craig Pedersennow an institution of basketball on the island. There Corfu night play association Islands (the KKI, Icelandic Basketball Federation) gave him the reins of the selection in 2014 and in 10 years there were two consecutive qualifications for a European Championship (2015 and 2017) and the failure to qualify for the 2023 World Cup only due to difference in baskets compared to the Georgia, far from trivial results for a country with less than 400,000 inhabitants and with a poor basketball tradition (the KKI was established only in 1961). This year too Our boys (“Our boys” in Icelandic – READ THE STORY HERE) are in full swing for European qualification after the home victory against Hungary (70-65) and the defeat (76-75…) against Turkey in Istanbul.
The Captain is a veteran of all three clashes with Italy Aegir Steinarssona career between Iceland and Spain. The strengths of the Icelandic team are the 215 centimeter center Tryggvi Hlinason34 points and 21 rebounds in the Azzurra defeat in 2022, Elvar Fridriksson3 appearances with Tortona in 2022 e Jon GudmundssonFortitudo Bologna in 2020/2021 and Pesaro 2022/2023. Among the old acquaintances of Italian basketball also Haukur Palssonyouth team of Stella Azzurra Roma. There will be no injured person Martin Hermannssonpoint guard averaging 14.6 points in the Euroleague and teammate of Matteo Spagnolo and Gabriele Procida at Alba Berlin.
The Italy-Iceland press conference will be held on Saturday 23 November at 6.30 pm in the Sala del Tricolore of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia.
