Italian Basketball Supercup

The Italian Basketball Supercup (Italian: Supercoppa Italiana di Pallacanestro), also known as Zurich Connect Supercoppa for sponsorship reasons,[2] is a professional basketball super cup competition that opposes the latest winners of the LBA – the top-tier Italian national domestic league – and the winners of the Italian Cup, the top-tier national cup competition in Italy. Created in 1995, it is organised by the Lega Basket – who run the LBA and the Italian Cup – in partnership with RCS Sport, and it traditionally opens the season.

Italian Basketball Supercup
Current season, competition or edition:
2019 Italian Basketball Supercup
SportBasketball
Founded1995
No. of teams4
CountryItaly
ConfederationFIBA Europe
Most recent
champion(s)		Banco di Sardegna Sassari
(2nd title)
Most titlesMens Sana 1871
(7 titles)
TV partner(s)Eurosport[1]
Sponsor(s)Zurich Connect
Related
competitions		LBA
Italian Cup

History

The 2014 edition of the Supercup was played on October 4 and 5, at Sassari's PalaSerradimigni, in a final four format. Italian League and Italian Cup runners-up Montepaschi Siena (also defending champions), did not participate, after declaring bankruptcy over the summer. Italian League champions EA7 Emporio Armani Milano, comfortably dispatched Enel Brindisi (third in the 2014 cup), by a score of 71-59, in the first semifinal, on the back of Linas Kleiza's and Joe Ragland's long-distance shooting (17 and 16 points respectively), in a mistake-strewn game.

The other semifinal saw cup-holders Banco di Sardegna Sassari, have an easy 89-73 win over Acea Roma (league semifinalist), with the hosts always leading, and Sassari head coach Romeo Sacchetti, rotating his squad.[3]

The final saw Sassari add a second title to their prior cup win, by downing Milano 96-88. The Sardinians started the game on the front foot, leading the first quarter, 29-14, while Milano struggled to score (0-for-6 from three). They continued to drive the game at the start of the second quarter, but Milano found a way back into the game, thanks to stronger defense and a stellar MarShon Brooks, to answer with a 15-0 run from, 36-18 down, with Sassari then finding their scoring shoes to finish the half 50-40. Three's from Ragland and Kleiza helped Milano claw back at the lead, but Brooks missed the shot to equalise, with the quarter ending on 72-68. Sassari would stay in front for the rest of the game, with Supercup MVP Jerome Dyson entertaining the fans. Brooks led all scorers with 26 points, followed for Milano by Ragland (17) and Kleizia (16), whilst Dyson paced the winners with 25, and three other players had 14 points.[4]

The 2015 edition took place in Turin's PalaRuffini, on 26 and 27 September. It pitted Banco di Sardegna Sassari (both league and cup holders) against Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia (league runners-up) and EA7 Emporio Armani Milano (cup finalist and league semifinalist) against Umana Reyer Venezia (league semifinalist) in the semifinals.[5][6]

Format

In 2000, the Supercup was organised on a bigger scale, with all but one of the Serie A and Serie A2 teams participating (Viola Reggio Calabria were caught up in a tournament in Buenos Aires), with the league and cup holders already qualified for the semifinals. The next year, the four best-ranked teams in the league took part in a Supercup final four.[7]

The 2014 edition saw the Supercup contested by four squads, with the league champion playing the runner up of the cup, and the cup winner playing the league regular season runner-up (barring that, the next best placed team in the cup and the league are chosen in that order).[8] The format was confirmed for the following editions.

Media scrutiny

Some observers have derided the Italian Basketball Supercup as a, "minor trophy", in contrast to the Italian Cup.[9] Journalist's such as the Corriere di Bologna's, Daniele Labanti, and Panorama's Paolo Corio, reacted to the low spectator turnout at the 2014 edition (as part of a general trend), organised in Sassari, by unfavorably comparing its appeal to that of the top level Italian league, the top level Italian Cup, and the EuroLeague (in which the home team would be involved).

The formula and venue was also criticised, with calls to organise a single final, in a city bereft of a professional club basketball (such as Bari or Palermo), or even abroad, in the manner of the Italian football Supercup.[10][11]

Title holders

Mens Sana are the record-holders with seven cups, Treviso have participated in the most finals (9) and follow with four (4) titles, Cantù and Fortitudo Bologna won the cup twice whilst Fortitudo's rivals Virtus Bologna reached eight finals but only won the cup once.[7]

The finals
  • Player nationalities by national team.
Season Champions Score Runners-up Venue Location MVP
Supercoppa Italiana di Pallacanestro
1995 Buckler Beer Bologna 90–72 Benetton Treviso PalaMalaguti Casalecchio di Reno Orlando Woolridge
1996 Riello Mash Verona 79–72 Stefanel Milano FilaForum Assago Giacomo Galanda
1997 Benetton Treviso 78–58 Kinder Bologna FilaForum Assago Denis Marconato
1998 Teamsystem Bologna 66–59 Kinder Bologna PalaMalaguti Casalecchio di Reno Alessandro Abbio
1999 Varese Roosters 68–61 Kinder Bologna PalaIgnis Varese Andrea Meneghin
2000 Aeroporti di Roma Virtus 82–78 Kinder Bologna Palasport Mens Sana Siena Jerome Allen
2001 Benetton Treviso 88–71 Scavolini Pesaro PalaFiera Genoa Tyus Edney
2002 Benetton Treviso 100–72 Virtus Bologna PalaFiera Genoa Tyus Edney (2x)
2003 Oregon Scientific Cantù 85–79 Benetton Treviso PalaVerde Treviso Nate Johnson
2004 Montepaschi Siena 85–77 Benetton Treviso Palasport Mens Sana Siena David Vanterpool
2005 Climamio Bologna 84–75 Benetton Treviso PalaDozza Bologna Marco Belinelli
2006 Benetton Treviso 76–73 Eldo Napoli PalaVerde Treviso Marcus Goree
2007 Montepaschi Siena 96–50 Benetton Treviso Palasport Mens Sana Siena Shaun Stonerook
2008 Montepaschi Siena 108–72 Air Avellino Palasport Mens Sana Siena Terrell McIntyre
2009 Montepaschi Siena 87–65 Canadian Solar Bologna Palasport Mens Sana Siena Romain Sato
2010 Montepaschi Siena 82–64 Canadian Solar Bologna Palasport Mens Sana Siena Bo McCalebb
2011 Montepaschi Siena 73–70 Bennet Cantù Palasport Mens Sana Siena Kšyštof Lavrinovič
2012 Lenovo Cantù 80–73 Montepaschi Siena PalaFiera Forlì Manuchar Markoishvili
2013 Montepaschi Siena (revoked) 81–66 Cimberio Varese Palasport Mens Sana Siena Daniel Hackett
2014 Banco di Sardegna Sassari 96–88 EA7 Emporio Armani Milano PalaSerradimigni Sassari Jerome Dyson
2015 Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia 80–68 EA7 Emporio Armani Milano PalaRuffini Turin Amedeo Della Valle
2016 EA7 Emporio Armani Milano 90–72 Sidigas Avellino Mediolanum Forum Assago Krunoslav Simon
2017 EA7 Emporio Armani Milano 82–77 Umana Reyer Venezia Unieuro Arena Forlì Jordan Theodore
2018 AX Armani Exchange Milano 82–71 Fiat Torino PalaLeonessa Brescia Vladimir Micov
2019 Banco di Sardegna Sassari 83–80 Umana Reyer Venezia PalaFlorio Bari Curtis Jerrells

Note: boxscores from Lega Basket (retrieved 30 September 2018)

Performance by club
Rank Club Titles Runner-up Champion Years
1. Mens Sana 1871 6 1 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 (revoked)
2. Treviso 4 5 1997, 2001, 2002, 2006
3. Olimpia Milano 3 3 2016, 2017, 2018
4. Cantù 2 1 2003, 2012
5. Fortitudo Bologna 2 0 1998, 2005
6. Dinamo Sassari 2 0 2014, 2019
7. Virtus Bologna 1 7 1995
8. Varese 1 1 1999
9. Scaligera Verona 1 0 1996
10. Virtus Roma 1 0 2000
11. Reggiana 1 0 2015
12. Felice Scandone 0 2
13. Reyer Venezia 0 2
14. Torino 0 1
15. Victoria Libertas 0 1
16. Napoli 0 1
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See also

References
  1. "Ad Eurosport il pacchetto PAY di Serie A, Supercoppa e Coppa Italia. Il GM di Discovery: Gran colpo" [Eurosport has pay TV rights for Serie A, Supercoppa and Coppa Italia. GM of Discovery Channel: Great hit]. Sportando.com (in Italian). 12 July 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  2. "Zurich Connect sarà il Title Sponsor della Supercoppa 2018" [Zurich Connect will be new title sponsor of the 2018 Supercup]. legabasket.it (in Italian). 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  3. "Basket, Supercoppa Italiana: Milano batte Brindisi, in finale contro Sassari" [Basketball, Italian Supercup: Milano beats Brindisi, [is] in final against Sassari]. Repubblica.it (in Italian). 4 October 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  4. Canfora, Mario (5 October 2014). "Basket, Supercoppa. Finale: Sassari-Milano 96-88" [Basketball, Supercup: finals: Sassari-Milano 96-88]. Gazzetta.it (in Italian). Sassari. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  5. "Beko Supercoppa 2015: si riparte da Dinamo – Reggio Emilia" [Beko Supercup 2015: starting again from Dinamo – Reggio Emilia]. DinamoBasket.com (in Italian). 15 July 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  6. "La Beko Supercoppa 2015 a Torino" [The Beko Supercup 2015 in Turin]. LegaBasket.it (in Italian). 8 May 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  7. "Il trionfo di Milano vale la finalissima della Supercoppa italiana" [The triumph over Milano is worth the Italian Supercup final]. GElocal.it/LaNuovaSardegna (in Italian). 11 February 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  8. "Beko Supercoppa; le modalità di partecipazione" [Beko Supercup; the participation procedures]. LegaBasket.it (in Italian). 13 June 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  9. Fuochi, Walter (23 February 2015). "Amara Milano, la Coppa è di Sassari" [Bitter Milano, the Cup is for Sassari]. Repubblica.it (in Italian). Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  10. Corio, Paolo (6 October 2014). "La Supercoppa e quegli spettatori in meno anche a Sassari" [The Supercup and its fewer spectators even in Sassari]. Panorama.it (in Italian). Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  11. Labanti, Daniele (5 October 2014). "Il basket, Sassari e il flop della Supercoppa" [Basketball, Sassari and the Supercup's failure]. boblog.CorrierediBologna.Corriere.it (in Italian). Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  12. Following an investigation for accounting and fiscal fraud, the Italian Basketball Federation revoked all the domestic titles won by the club during the 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons.
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