Pallacanestro Varese

Pallacanestro Varese, also called by its current sponsor's name, the Openjobmetis Varese, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Varese, Lombardy. Founded in 1945, the team plays in the Italian first division LBA.

Openjobmetis Varese
2020–21 Pallacanestro Varese season
LeaguesLBA
Founded1945
HistoryPallacanestro Varese
(1946–present)
ArenaPalasport Lino Oldrini
Capacity5,107
LocationVarese, Italy
Team colorsWhite, Red
         
PresidentMarco Vittorelli
Head coachAttilio Caja
Championships10 Italian Leagues
4 Italian Cups
1 Italian Supercup
3 Intercontinental Cups
5 EuroLeagues
2 Saporta Cups
Websitepallacanestrovarese.it

For past club sponsorship names, see sponsorship names.

History
Varese captain Ottorino Flaborea lifts the FIBA European Champions Cup trophy after defeating CSKA Moscow at the final in Sarajevo's Skenderija on 4 April 1970 — the first of the club's five European titles during the 1970s.

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, 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 LBA 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, and repeated the same title 4 and 7 years later, in the middle of the club's greatest decade in 1970 and 1973. Varese accomplished the great feat of winning the Triple Crown, winning all the trophies available in 1973, with the legendary Professor Aca Nikolić 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), 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
Openjobmetis Varese roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Age
PF Andersson, Denzel 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 23 – (1996-09-21)21 September 1996
PG De Nicolao, Giovanni 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 79 kg (174 lb) 24 – (1996-06-10)10 June 1996
SF De Vico, Niccolò 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 93 kg (205 lb) 26 – (1994-07-19)19 July 1994
F Ferrero, Giancarlo (C) 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 97 kg (214 lb) 31 – (1988-08-29)29 August 1988
PG Jakovičs, Ingus 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 82 kg (181 lb) 27 – (1993-04-18)18 April 1993
C Morse, Anthony 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 103 kg (227 lb) 26 – (1994-04-13)13 April 1994
PG Ruzzier, Michele 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) 82 kg (181 lb) 27 – (1993-02-09)9 February 1993
F/C Scola, Luis 2.07 m (6 ft 9 in) 110 kg (243 lb) 40 – (1980-04-30)30 April 1980
G/F Strautiņš, Artūrs 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 100 kg (220 lb) 21 – (1998-10-23)23 October 1998
Head coach

Attilio Caja

Assistant coach(es)
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • Injured
    Updated: 30 June 2020

    Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

    Depth chart
    Pos. Starting 5 Bench
    C Luis Scola Anthony Morse
    PF Denzel Andersson Giancarlo Ferrero
    SF Artūrs Strautiņš Niccolò De Vico
    SG Ingus Jakovičs
    PG Michele Ruzzier Giovanni De Nicolao

    5+5 format (colours: Italian or homegrown players; foreign players; young players)

    Season by season
    Season Tier League Pos. Italian Cup European competitions
    2004–05 1 Serie A 14th
    2005–06 1 Serie A 10th
    2006–07 1 Serie A 7th
    2007–08 1 Serie A 18th
    2008–09 2 Serie A2 1st
    2009–10 1 Serie A 11th
    2010–11 1 Serie A 8th
    2011–12 1 Serie A 8th
    2012–13 1 Serie A 3rd
    2013–14 1 Serie A 10th 1 Euroleague
    QR1
    2 Eurocup
    RS
    2014–15 1 Serie A 11th
    2015–16 1 LBA 9th 3 FIBA Europe Cup
    RU
    2016–17 1 LBA 12th 3 Champions League
    RS
    2017–18 1 LBA 6th
    2018–19 1 LBA 9th
    2019–20 1 LBA 10th

    Honours

    Total titles: 25

    Palasport Lino Oldrini

    Domestic competitions
    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
    Winners (4): 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73
    Runners-up (5): 1971–72, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1998–99, 2012–13
    Winners (1): 1999
    Runners-up (1): 2013

    European competitions
    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
    Winners (2): 1966–67, 1979–80
    Semifinalists (2): 1967–68, 1980–81
    Runners-up (1): 1984–85
    Semifinalists (1): 1985–86
    Runners-up (1): 2015–16

    Worldwide competitions
    Winners (3): 1966, 1970, 1973
    Runners-up (4): 1967, 1974, 1976, 1977
    3rd place (1): 1979
    4th place (1): 1978
    4th place (1): 1999

    Individual club awards
    • Triple Crown
    Winners (2): 1969–70, 1972–73

    International record
    Season Achievement Notes
    EuroLeague
    1964–65 Semi-finals eliminated by CSKA Moscow, 57-58 (L) in Varese and 67-69 (L) in Moscow
    1969–70 Champions defeated CSKA Moscow, 79-74 in the final of European Champions Cup in Sarajevo
    1970–71 Final lost to CSKA Moscow, 53-67 in the final (Antwerp)
    1971–72 Champions defeated Jugoplastika, 70-69 in the final of European Champions Cup in Tel Aviv
    1972–73 Champions defeated CSKA Moscow, 71-66 in the final of European Champions Cup in Liège
    1973–74 Final lost to Real Madrid, 82-84 in the final (Nantes)
    1974–75 Champions defeated Real Madrid, 79-66 in the final of European Champions Cup in Antwerp
    1975–76 Champions defeated Real Madrid, 81-74 in the final of European Champions Cup in Geneva
    1976–77 Final lost to Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv, 77-78 in the final (Belgrade)
    1977–78 Final lost to Real Madrid, 67-75 in the final (Munich)
    1978–79 Final lost to Bosna, 93-96 in the final (Grenoble)
    FIBA Saporta Cup
    1966–67 Champions defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv, 77-67 (W) in Varese and 67-68 (L) in Tel Aviv in the double final of European Cup Winners' Cup
    1967–68 Semi-finals eliminated by AEK, 78-60 (W) in Varese and 52-72 (L) in Athens
    1979–80 Champions defeated Gabetti Cantù, 90-88 in the final of European Cup Winners' Cup in Milan
    1980–81 Semi-finals eliminated by Squibb Cantù, 84-94 (L) in Varese and 65-78 (L) in Cantù
    FIBA Korać Cup
    1984–85 Final lost to Simac Milano, 78–91 in the final (Brussels)
    1985–86 Semi-finals eliminated by Mobilgirgi Caserta, 84-71 (W) in Varese and 75-91 (L) in Caserta
    1995–96 Quarter-finals eliminated by Stefanel Milano, 72-81 (L) in Varese and 89-90 (L) in Milan
    EuroCup
    2002–03 Quarter-finals eliminated by Adecco Estudiantes, 59-77 (L) in Madrid and 88-101 (L) in Varese
    2003–04 Quarter-finals eliminated by Real Madrid, 67-68 (L) in Madrid and 57-62 (L) in Varese
    FIBA Europe Cup
    2015–16 Final lost to Fraport Skyliners, 62–66 in the final (Chalon-sur-Saône)
    Intercontinental Cup
    1966 Champions defeated Corinthians 66-59 in the final of Intercontinental Cup in Madrid
    1967 Final lost to Akron Goodyear Wingfoots, 72–78 in the final (Rome)
    1970 Champions Intercontinental Cup Champions with a 4-0 record in a league tournament in Varese
    1973 Champions Intercontinental Cup Champions with a 3-1 record in a league tournament in São Paulo
    1974 Runners-up Runners-up with a 4-1 record in a league tournament in Mexico City
    1975 5th place 5th place with a 2-3 record in a league tournament in Varese
    1976 Runners-up Runners-up with a 4-1 record in a league tournament in Buenos Aires
    1977 Runners-up Runners-up with a 3-2 record in a league tournament in Madrid
    1978 4th place 4th place with a 1-3 record in a league tournament in Buenos Aires
    1979 3rd place 3rd place with a 2-2 record in a league tournament in São Paulo
    McDonald's Championship
    1999 4th place 4th place in Milan, lost to San Antonio Spurs 86-96 in the semi-final, lost to Žalgiris 78-97 in the 3rd place game

    Notable players

    Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

    Head coaches

    Sponsorship names

    Through the years, due to sponsorship deals, it has been also known as:[1]

    Shirt sponsors and manufacturers
    Period Kit manufacturer
    1997–1999 Kappa
    1999–2001 Reebok
    2002–2003 (unspecified)
    2003–2006 Macron[2]
    2006-2008 Nike
    2008–2010 Aries
    2010–2014 Macron[2]
    2014–2015 Adidas
    2015–present Spalding

    Colors and badge
    • City crest
      (1997–99)
    • Roosters crest
      (1999–01)
    • Casti Group crest
      (2004–05)
    • Cimberio Varese crest
      (2010–14)
    • Openjobmetis Varese crest
      (2014–present)

    References
    1. Lega A page on the history of Pallacanestro Varese.(in Italian) Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine
    2. "Varese, Macron nuovo sponsor tecnico ufficiale" [Varese, Macron new official technical sponsor] (in Italian). Lega Basket. 20 Jul 2010.
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