Virtus Segafredo Bologna is back in the big time, as it aims to maintain its growing momentum after securing a berth in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by winning last season’s 7DAYS EuroCup. After so long away from the elite, every game will be a big one for the two-time continental champ. Here are five of Virtus's most intriguing regular-season fixtures.
2022-23 Games to Watch: Virtus Segafredo Bologna
Round 1: Back in the high life again
Virtus is back! After several years of suffering, one of which was even spent in the Italian second division, last season’s triumph in the 7DAYS EuroCup allowed the men from Bologna to return to the elite of European basketball for the first time since 2008. The two-time EuroLeague winner is now aiming to recapture its glory years from the turn of the century, and excitement levels will be sky-high as the journey begins with the 2021 7DAYS EuroCup winner, AS Monaco, which made quite a splash in its EuroLeague debut last season.
Round 7: Italian bragging rights at stake in Milan
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan will be excited to welcome Virtus on the short journey from Bologna for the first all-Italian EuroLeague game in nearly 15 years. The two cities are separated by just 200 kilometers, and the rivalry between the teams has intensified at the domestic level in the last few years, with Milan beating Virtus to reclaim the national title last season. Now they have the chance to lock horns on the continental stage, and a red-hot atmosphere is guaranteed, with Italian pride at stake.
Round 12: Teodosic’s return to Piraeus
It has been five years since EuroLeague fans were able to enjoy the mercurial talents of Milos Teodosic, but now the Virtus playmaker is back in the competition. In Round 12, it will be a particularly special occasion when Teodosic will return to the place it all started. Teodosic won the 2010 EuroLeague MVP award after leading Olympiacos to that year’s title game, and he will relish his place at the center of the spotlight on a nostalgic night in front of his former fans.
Round 15: Fond memories for Coach Scariolo
Virtus head coach Sergio Scariolo’s career has been indelibly linked with Spain, winning three EuroBasket titles and one World Cup trophy with the national team. And at the club level, he has no closer connection than Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, the first club he coached away from his native Italy. Scariolo wrote himself into the Basque club’s history books by reaching the national championship final for the first time in 1998 and then winning the Copa del Rey a year later. It’s also a special occasion for Virtus as a club, bringing back memories of the team’s EuroLeague title triumph against Baskonia in 2001.
Round 30: A late-season tussle against Los Blancos
Virtus fans have waited a long time to see their players go up against the biggest teams in Europe, and it doesn’t get any bigger than Real Madrid. These two clubs have a long and rich history, yet the teams have been on contrasting paths in the last couple of decades, with Virtus losing its status as a continental heavyweight while Real has gone from strength to strength. But now Virtus has reemerged into the elite and this matchup could again become one of the great occasions in European basketball.