Pallacanestro Varese, also called by its current sponsor's name, the Openjobmetis Varese, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Varese,

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

. Founded in 1945, the team plays in the Italian first division

LBA LBA or lba may refer to: Science * Live blood analysis, the observation of live blood cells through a dark field microscope * Long branch attraction, an error in molecular phylogeny * Ligand binding assay, an assay whose procedure relies on the b ...

. For past club sponsorship names, see sponsorship names.

History

1969–70 FIBA European Champions Cup Final

Basketball was introduced in Varese in 1945, with the creation of the historical club, Pallacanestro Varese. The first sponsors were introduced 8 years later in 1954, including Storm and Ignis, followed by Emerson, Turisanda,

Cagiva Cagiva is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It was founded in 1950 by Giovanni Castiglioni in Varese, originally producing small metal components. Giovanni's sons, Claudio and Gianfranco Castiglioni, went into the motorcycle industry in 1978. ...

, Star, Ciaocrem, Divarese, Ranger, Metis, Whirlpool, and the most recent, Cimberio. Varese is also famous due to the lack of its having a main sponsor in the mid-1990s (something unusual in the Italian basketball league), and the choice of its franchise name, the Varese Roosters. Since their creation, Pallancanestro Varese has won 10 Italian first-tier level

titles, in the years 1961, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, and their last Italian League title, won 21 years after the previous title, in 1999. With 10 titles, Pallacanestro Varese is the third most winning team ever in the Italian League, after Olimpia Milano and Virtus Bologna. As it is shown by its roll of honors, Varese was extremely competitive in the 1970s, when the club played in the European-wide first-tier level FIBA European Champions Cup (now called EuroLeague), and played in ten finals in a row, winning 5 of them, in the years 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1976. Between 1970 and 1975, the club was named Ignis Varese. What was the club's golden age had begun some years before, as Varese conquered the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

, and repeated the same title 4 and 7 years later, in the middle of the club's greatest decade in

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...

and

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

. Varese accomplished the great feat of winning the Triple Crown, winning all the trophies available in 1973, with the legendary Professor

Aca Nikolić ACA may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''A Current Affair'' (Australian TV series), an Australian television program * Actors Centre Australia, a private dramatic arts school * American Choreography Awards * American Composers Alliance * Am ...

as the team's head coach. Varese also won two championships of the European-wide first-tier level FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup, in 1967 and 1980, and four Italian Cups, in 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1973. Varese's great age ended in the early nineties, when the team dropped down to the Italian second division. Soon, the club took its revenge, coming up once again to the Italian top-tier level league, and after 5 years time became the real team to watch in the Italian League's playoffs, as it succeeded in winning its historical 10th Italian League title in 1999, with Carlo Recalcati (who later coached the

Italian national team The Italy national football team ( it, Nazionale di calcio dell'Italia) has represented Italy in international Association football, football since its first match in 1910. The national team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation (FIG ...

), leading the way as the club's head coach. Varese has never repeated that triumph so far, but that success is still remembered to this day. Varese has been trying to return to the top of the Italian League and European-wide competitions in the years since.

Players

Current roster

Depth chart

Season by season

Honours

Total titles: 25 PalaWhirlpool

Domestic competitions

* Italian League : Winners (10): 1960–61, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1998–99 : Runners-up (10): 1948–49, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1989–90 * Italian Cup : Winners (4): 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73 : Runners-up (5): 1971–72, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1998–99, 2012–13 * Italian Supercup : Winners (1): 1999 : Runners-up (1): 2013

European competitions

* EuroLeague : Winners (5): 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76 : Runners-up (5): 1970–71, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79 : Semifinalists (1): 1964–65 * FIBA Saporta Cup (defunct) : Winners (2): 1966–67, 1979–80 : Semifinalists (2): 1967–68, 1980–81 * FIBA Korać Cup (defunct) : Runners-up (1): 1984–85 : Semifinalists (1): 1985–86 * FIBA Europe Cup : Runners-up (1): 2015–16

Worldwide competitions

* FIBA Intercontinental Cup : Winners (3):

: Runners-up (4):

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

: 3rd place (1):

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

: 4th place (1):

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

* McDonald's Championship : 4th place (1):

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

Individual club awards

* Triple Crown : Winners (2): 1969–70, 1972–73

International record

Notable players

* Ivan Bisson *

Paolo Conti Paolo Conti (; born 1 April 1950) is a former Italian football goalkeeper. Club career Throughout his club career, Conti played for 9 seasons (193 games) in the Italian Serie A for A.S. Roma (1973–80), U.C. Sampdoria (1981–83), and ACF Fior ...

Marcelo Damiao Marcelo Dilglay Damiao (born 19 March 1975 in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil) is a Brazilian- Italian basketball player. A member of the Italian men's national team, Damiao competed with the squad at the 1998 FIBA World Championship and th ...

* Fabrizio Della Fiori *

Giacomo Galanda Giacomo "Jack" Galanda (born 30 January 1975) is a retired Italian professional basketball player. He was a forward-center of 2.10 m. (6 ft. 10¾ in.) and 110 kg. (243 lbs.). Professional career Galanda was born in Udine, Friuli. H ...

Andrea Meneghin Andrea Meneghin (born February 20, 1974) is an Italian retired professional basketball player and active coach. Standing at 2.00 m (6 ft. 6 in.), Meneghin was an offense oriented shooting guard-small forward. Professional career Meneghin ...

* Dino Meneghin * Aldo Ossola * Gianmarco Pozzecco * Stefano Rusconi * Romeo Sacchetti *

Paolo Vittori Paolo Vittori (born 31 May 1938) is a retired Italian professional basketball player and coach. In 2006, he was inducted into the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame. Professional career Vittori was a member of the FIBA European Selection, in 19 ...

* Marino Zanatta * Siim-Sander Vene * Anthony Bowie *

Frank Brickowski Francis Anthony Brickowski (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player, formerly in the National Basketball Association (NBA). College and overseas career Born in Bayville, New York, Brickowski played college ba ...

* Bill Campion * Geno Carlisle * Tim Bassett * Toney Douglas *

Derek Hamilton Derek Martin Hamilton (born 26 August 1958) is a Scottish former football player, known for playing for St Mirren F.C. Playing career Derek Hamilton was born in Kilwinning in 1958. He joined Aberdeen from junior club Beith Juniors in 1978 a ...

* Delonte Holland * Frank Johnson * Jalen Jones *

Anthony Gennari Anthony Michael Gennari (alternate name: Antonio; 9 September 1942 – 22 May 2019) was an Italian-American former professional basketball player. At a height of 1.91 m (6'3") tall, he played at the point guard and shooting guard positions. Colle ...

* Kevin Magee * Stan McKenzie *

Billy Keys William Amar Keys (born October 26, 1977) is a retired American professional basketball player and basketball coach. At a height of 6'2" (1.88 m) and a weight of 210 lbs. (95 kg), he played at the point guard position. He currently is ...

* Rusty LaRue * Pat Cummings * Bill Edwards * Wes Matthews *

Jerry McCullough Jerry McCullough (born November 26, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. He spent most of his professional career playing in Europe. College career McCullough played college basketball at Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) ...

Larry Micheaux Larry Wayne Micheaux ( ) (born March 24, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player who played for several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and in Europe. Career College After earning all-state honors as a seni ...

Corny Thompson Cornelius Allen "Corny" Thompson (born February 5, 1960) is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'8" (203 cm) 225 lb (102 kg) power forward who occasionally also played the center position. Thomson was a mem ...

* Eddie Lee Wilkins * Leon Wood *

Charlie Yelverton Charlie Yelverton (born December 5, 1948) is a retired American professional basketball player. At a height of 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) tall, he played as shooting guard-small forward. He is a member of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame. ...

* Reggie Theus *

Tyrone Nesby Tyrone Lamont Nesby (born January 31, 1976) is an American retired professional basketball player. Nesby went to Cairo High School in Cairo, Illinois. He played collegiately at Vincennes University (1994–1996), and at UNLV (1996–1998). After ...

* Charles Pittman *

Bob Morse Robert Duncan Morse (born January 4, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player. He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991. In 2008, Morse was chosen as one of the 50 most influential personalities in European club ba ...

* DeJuan Collins *

Daniel Farabello Daniel "Dani" Edgardo Farabello (born 18 October 1973) is a former Argentine-Italian professional basketball player. Professional career Farabello played with Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama. National team career A member of the senior men's ...

* Gabriel Fernández * Luis Scola * Arijan Komazec *

Mate Skelin Don Skelira (born December 13, 1974) and is a Croatian basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for Cedevita Junior of the Croatian League. Post-playing career In 2015, Cedevita head coach Veljko Mrsic named Skelin as ...

* Veljko Mršić *

Boris Gorenc Boris Gorenc (born 3 December 1973) is a former Slovenian professional basketball player, and basketball agent. Professional career Gorenc started playing basketball in KK Domžale, before in 1990 he joined KK Olimpija. He had been member Olim ...

* Sani Bečirović * Aleksandar Ćapin * Alain Digbeu * Kristjan Kangur * Janar Talts * Daniel Santiago * Richard Petruška *

Pavel Podkolzin Pavel Nikolaevitch Podkolzin (russian: Павел Николаевич Подкользин) (born 15 January 1985) is a Russian former professional basketball player. Formerly, he played in the NBA and the NBA Development League. He is a tall ...

* Manuel Raga *

Nikola Lončar Nikola Lončar ( Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Лончар; born May 31, 1972) is a Serbian former professional basketball player. He also holds Spanish citizenship. Professional career Lončar started his career at Partizan, making his profe ...

* Fedon Matheou * D. J. Mbenga

Head coaches

Vittorio Tracuzzi Vittorio Tracuzzi (2 January 1923 – 21 October 1986) was an Italian basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1948 Summer Olympics. References External links

* 1923 births 1986 deaths Italian men's basketb ...

(1948–54) *

Valerio Giobbi Valerio or Valério is a male given name in several languages, derived from the Roman surname ''Valerius'', which itself is derived from the Latin verb ''valere'' - "to be strong". ''Valerio'' also appears as a family name or surname. Valerio is ...

(1954–55) * Yogi Bough (1955–56) * Enrico Garbosi (1956–62) *

Vittorio Tracuzzi Vittorio Tracuzzi (2 January 1923 – 21 October 1986) was an Italian basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1948 Summer Olympics. References External links

* 1923 births 1986 deaths Italian men's basketb ...

(1954–55 & 1966–68) * Nico Messina (1968–69 & 1977–78) * Aleksandar Nikolić (1969–73) *

Sandro Gamba Alessandro "Sandro" Gamba (born 3 June 1932) is an Italian former professional basketball player and coach. Gamba was a finalist for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, and was elected as a member in 2006. He w ...

(1973–77) * Edoardo Rusconi (1978–80, 1993–97 & 2003–04) *

Joe Isaac Joseph Warren Isaac (born August 8, 1943), commonly known as Warren Isaac in the United States and Joe Isaac in Italy, is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He had a standout college career at Iona before playing and coac ...

(1986–89 & 1992–93) * Carlo Recalcati (1997–99 & 2010–12) * Valerio Bianchini (1999 & 2007–08) * Gianfranco Lombardi (2000–01) * Grégor Beugnot (2001–03) * Ruben Magnano (2004–07) * Veljko Mršić (2007–08) *

Stefano Pillastrini Stefano is the Italian form of the masculine given name Στέφανος (Stefanos, Stephen). The name is of Greek origin, Στέφανος, meaning a person who made a significant achievement and has been crowned. In Orthodox Christianity the ach ...

(2008–10) *

Francesco Vitucci Francesco "Frank" Vitucci (born 5 April 1963) is an Italian basketball head coach, currently managing Universo Treviso in the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). Coaching career Vitucci began his career as a basketball coach with the Reyer Vene ...

(2012–13) *

Fabrizio Frates Fabrizio Frates (Milan, July 16, 1959) is an Italian basketball coach. Career Cantù & Treviso Frates become head coach of Clear Cantù just over in his thirty years, in the 1990-91 season and won the FIBA Korać Cup that year ( 1990–91 FIBA ...

(2013–14) *

Stefano Bizzozi Stefano is the Italian form of the masculine given name Στέφανος (Stefanos, Stephen). The name is of Greek origin, Στέφανος, meaning a person who made a significant achievement and has been crowned. In Orthodox Christianity the ac ...

(2014) * Gianmarco Pozzecco (2014–15) * Attilio Caja (2015 & 2016–20) *

Paolo Moretti Paolo Moretti (born 30 June 1970 in Arezzo) is a former professional basketball player, and current basketball coach from Italy, who won the silver medal with his national team at the Eurobasket 1997 in Spain. Standing at a height of 2,00 ...

(2015–16) *

Massimo Bulleri Massimo "Bullo" Bulleri (born 10 September 1977) is an Italian former professional basketball player and last covered the role of head coach for Pallacanestro Varese. During his playing career, standing at a height of tall, he played at the poi ...

(2020–21) *

Adriano Vertemati Adriano or Adrião is the form of the Latin given name ''Hadrianus'' commonly used in the Italian language; the form Adrian is used in the English language. Notable people with the name include: * Adriano Banchieri, Italian composer, music theori ...

(2021–22) * Johan Roijakkers (2022) *

Alberto Seravalli Alberto is the Romance version of the Latinized form (''Albertus'') of Germanic '' Albert''. It is used in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. The diminutive forms are ''Albertito'' in Spain or ''Albertico'' in some parts of Latin America, Al ...

(2022–present)

Sponsorship names

Through the years, due to sponsorship deals, it has been also known as:Lega A page on the history of Pallacanestro Varese.
* Storm (1954–56) * Ignis (1956–75) * Mobilgirgi (1975–78) * Emerson (1978–80) * Turisanda (1980–81) *

(1981–83) * Star (1983–84) * Ciao Crem (1984–85) * Divarese (1985–89) * Ranger (1989–92) *

(1992–97) * No name sponsorship (1997–99) * Varese Roosters (1999–01) * Metis (2001–04) * Casti Group (2004–05) * Whirlpool (2005–07) * Cimberio (2007–2014) * OpenjobMetis (2014–present)

Shirt sponsors and manufacturers

Colors and badge

Image:Varese-Stemma.png, City crest
(1997–99) Image:Varese Roosters Logo.jpg, Roosters crest
(1999–01) Image:Logo Varese.JPG, Casti Group crest
(2004–05) File:Logo Cimberio Varese.png, Cimberio Varese crest
(2010–14) File:Scudetto_Openjobmetis.jpg, Openjobmetis Varese crest
(2014–present)

References

External links

Official Website

Eurobasket.com Team PageVarese Fans Basket
{{Navboxes, list1= {{Pallacanestro Varese 1969-70 Euroleague champions {{Pallacanestro Varese 1971-72 Euroleague champions {{Pallacanestro Varese 1972-73 Euroleague champions {{Pallacanestro Varese 1974-75 Euroleague champions {{Pallacanestro Varese 1975-76 Euroleague champions {{Pallacanestro Varese 1966–67 FIBA European Cup Winner's Cup Champions {{Pallacanestro Varese 1979–80 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup Champions 1946 establishments in Italy Varese Varese EuroLeague-winning clubs Sport in Varese