The Olimpia’s General Manager Christos Stavropoulos introduces Giampaolo Ricci, Pippo, as “a player who will give us energy and will play smart. He is now a national teamplayer, coming off the Olympics, but four years ago only, he wasn’t even in the top league. He had an impressive growth”. “If I think about my career, I ‘d say it was long, I did a lot of apprenticeship, I grew up a little bit at a time especially during my seasons in A2 and then the experience in Cremona was decisive. Especially the second season when Coach Sacchetti showed me great confidence. This is when I realized I could be an important player both in Cremona and then with the national team. Then I also won the Italian Cup. It’s true, I got to the Serie A at the late age of 26-27, but it was the result of the work that I have done previously. Still, I’m here to get even better, take another step forward, try to surprise once more, and it doesn’t matter if I’m nearly 30, ” he says.

The EuroLeague – “It was one of the reasons why I made this choice. I have been playing for a great club for two seasons, played alongside great players, now I enter the locker room and I see other legends, I see players of the first level, Gigi, Kyle, Chacho and others. Working with them every day is a privilege, I will try to learn as much as possible from those who have made the history of the competition and hopefully I will be able to get into the world where great basketball is going to be played.”

Going to Milano after Bologna – “It was a difficult choice, the most difficult I’ve ever made. I was coming from a championship won as a team Captain and managed to hoist the cup. I felt like an important part of that story, then there were situations that, without going into details, pushed me to make a decision. And my decision was this: Coach Messina’s call, the esteem he showed me, was decisive. In addition, the EuroLeague represents another step forward in my career. I gave everything to Virtus, over two intense years, but we know that good things can end and people can get on separate paths. I have a clear conscience, because I know I have always given everything that I had, putting myself back into the game. Now I will do it once again, in Milano, knowing that I will get to an organization that I consider perfect, an incredible structure that allows everyone to be in the ideal conditions to improve.”