Zanetti: Virtus Is Italy's Most Iconic Club
Virtus president Massimo Zanetti points to two Euroleague titles and a Gazzetta survey to argue his club outdraws Milan's 350,000 fans.
Massimo Zanetti has called Virtus the most recognisable name in Italian basketball, and he has the numbers to back the claim.
"I believe this is the most iconic club in Italy and the most famous Italian basketball club in the world. We have won the Euroleague twice, and according to a La Gazzetta dello Sport survey, we have the largest following of any club," Zanetti said.
He added that the same survey put Milan's following at 350,000 fans.
The claim comes in Virtus's centenary year, and in a season already reshaped off the court: the club confirmed on 14 September that it will play domestically as Virtus Costa Bologna after signing cruise line Costa Crociere as title sponsor for 2026/27. On court, results have been harder to come by. Virtus sit 7th in the Campionato with four points from two matches, with M. Zenoni and G. Piscitella sharing the scoring load on five points apiece and Elia Ciacci adding three.
Zanetti's remarks say nothing about the table position, but the timing is notable: a statement of historical stature arrives in the same week as a rebrand, at a club still finding its footing at the start of the campaign.
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