Virtus Segafredo Bologna and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan have a long history of playing against one another, but it was only last season that Italy’s two biggest clubs met in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for the first time this century. On Tuesday night, the 5-2 Virtus welcomes the 2-5 Milan to Virtus Segafredo Arena in the EuroLeague’s third edition of the Derby d’Italia.
Last year, Virtus beat Milan 59-64 on the road in Round 7 before grabbing an 89-84 win in Bologna in Round 34, when both teams already knew that they could not make the playoffs. There has been plenty of change since then, with Luca Banchi replacing Sergio Scariolo on Virtus’s bench and Nikola Mirotic, the 2021-22 EuroLeague MVP, joining Milan’s star-studded roster.
Differing starts to the season
The first seven rounds of this current campaign went rather differently for both teams, however. Virtus had a five-game winning streak between Rounds 2 and 6, led by October MVP Toko Shengelia, to move it towards the upper echelons of the standings, whereas Milan only ended a four-game losing run last week. But, as we all know, anything can happen in a derby.
“We have a long rivalry that has lasted since the ‘50s, so it’s 70-plus years of rivalry between these two clubs,” says Milan head coach Ettore Messina. “It’s a special night for Italian basketball,” adds Virtus boss Banchi.
There are always many interesting storylines to follow in the Derby d’Italia, but one particularly interesting one comes on the benches.
Two coaches who crossed the divide
Messina is now in his fifth season in charge of Milan, but he initially made his name as a head coach at Virtus, having led the team between 1989 and 1993 before returning for a second spell between 1997 and 2002. The 64-year-old became a hero in the city of Bologna after guiding Virtus to two EuroLeague titles (1997-98, 2000-01), as well as three Italian League trophies (1992-93, 1998-98, 20001-02).
“I considered it [Bologna] my city for many, many years, because I lived there for almost two decades,” explains Coach Messina. “I don’t consider it a win against Virtus, but I consider it a win for Milan.”
Banchi, meanwhile, previously coached Milan between 2013 and 2015 and oversaw a 25-27 EuroLeague while on the bench at Mediolanum Forum. In his first season in charge, 2013-14, Banchi’s Milan reached the playoffs but lost 3-1 to Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. Looking ahead to Tuesday night’s game against his former employer, he will get the chance to catch up with some old friends and colleagues.
“There are some personal crossovers with people that are still there that worked with me in Milan,” notes Banchi. “I’m talking about players, management, people who are part of the staff… they still have a special position in my heart.”
The fans of both Virtus and Milan always look to put on a show whenever the Derby d’Italia comes around and Tuesday’s Round 8 contest is likely to be no different. The two teams have had contrasting starts to the 2023-24 EuroLeague season, but in a derby, form goes out the window. Make sure to tune in from 20:30 CET to see which team – Virtus or Milan – can earn bragging rights in this season’s first Derby d’Italia.