Virtus Bologna
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Basketball club
Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna, known for sponsorship reasons as Virtus Olidata Bologna, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna.
The club was founded in 1927, which makes it the oldest club in Italy and one of the oldest in Europe. Virtus is the second most titled basketball club in Italy after Olimpia Milano, having won 17 Italian national championships, 8 Italian National Cups and 4 Italian Supercups. Moreover, it is one of the most successful teams in European competitions, having won two EuroLeagues, one EuroCup, one FIBA Saporta Cup, one EuroChallenge and one Basketball Champions League.<ref>Virtus pallacanestro Bologna – Palmares, www.virtus.it</ref> It currently plays in the Italian first division LBA as well as in the EuroLeague. The club is owned by the coffee entrepreneur Massimo Zanetti.<ref>Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna – Proprietà, www.virtus.it</ref>
Some of the club's star players over the years have included: Gianni Bertolotti, Tom McMillen, Carlo Caglieris, Renato Villalta, Marco Bonamico, Jim McMillian, Krešimir Ćosić, Roberto Brunamonti, Augusto Binelli, Micheal Ray Richardson, Predrag Danilović, Cliff Levingston, Arijan Komazec, Zoran Savić, Alessandro Abbio, Radoslav Nesterović, Antoine Rigaudeau, Alessandro Frosini, Hugo Sconochini, Marko Jarić, Manu Ginóbili, Rashard Griffith, Matjaž Smodiš, David Andersen, Travis Best, Keith Langford, Miloš Teodosić, Marco Belinelli, Daniel Hackett and Tornike Shengelia. While some of the club's greatest coaches have been: Vittorio Tracuzzi, Dan Peterson, Terry Driscoll, Alberto Bucci, Ettore Messina, Aleksandar Đorđević, Sergio Scariolo and Duško Ivanović.
History
1927–1956: Beginnings and post-war dynasty
Virtus was founded in 1871 as a gymnastics club, forming its first professional basketball team in 1927 (first reunion of members/players) as part of a multi sports club. The club's motto was Forte Franco Fermo Fiero ("Strong Frank Firm Proud") and was inserted in the logo under the Black V, with a cross made by four F;<ref>Virtus – Società Educazione Fisica, Storia e Memoria di Bologna</ref> the motto is still used by Virtus today.<ref>Il mito della "V Nera", Società di Educazione Fisica Virtus</ref> The team's home court was the former church of Santa Lucia in the city center, which could host a few hundred people.<ref>Santa Lucia, Virtuspedia</ref>
The first official championship of Virtus dates back to 1929. From 1929 to 1934, Virtus played in the first and second divisions within Emilia region. In 1934, the Bolognese team won the division tournament, obtaining the promotion in the top tournament after a hard-fought group of playoffs against Unione Sportiva of Milan and Ginnastica Rome. Team's captain was Venzo Vannini, while other important players were Giuseppe Palmieri and Giancarlo Marinelli. After the promotion, Virtus settled permanently at the top of the national basketball league, and achieved a long series of honorable placings: in the nine championships disputed from 1935 to the outbreak of the Second World War, the Black V collected 6-second places, 2 third places, and a sixth place, however Virtus never achieved to win a national title.
From 1943 to 1945, the championship was suspended due to the outbreak of the war in the country and the beginning of the civil war.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> At the end of the world war, Santa Lucia was no longer available for basketball games and after a brief period of outdoor matches on a field in Via del Ravone, the team moved to Sala Borsa, the city's stock exchange, readjusted in the evening for basketball matches. This unusual venue became the hallmark of a new Italian basketball season, compared to the worldwide famous Boston Garden.<ref>Primo scudetto della Virtus pallacanestro, Biblioteca Salaborsa</ref> In July 1945, Virtus, led by Achille Canna, Luigi Rapini and Antonio Calebotta, won its first national Serie A title, defeating 35–31 Reyer Venezia in the final.<ref>Virtus, secondo conflitto mondiale e dopoguerra Template:Webarchive, BasketCity</ref>
In the following season, Renzo Poluzzi became the new head coach and led Virtus to its second championship.<ref>Renzo Poluzzi, Virtuspedia</ref> Under Poluzzi, Virtus won the title again in 1948 and 1949, achieving the so-called "four-peat".<ref>Almanacco illustrato del basket '90. Modena, Panini, 1989</ref> In 1949–50 season, the Black V arrived second after Olimpia Milano; during these years, the long-time rivalry with Olimpia, known as "derby of Italy", began.<ref>Storia e rivalità del derby d'Italia, domani a Bologna con diretta Rai 2, Baskettissimo</ref> Olimpia won the title for the next four years too, while the Black V placed second in 1952 and 1953. In 1954, Vittorio Tracuzzi was appointed new head coach; Tracuzzi was a Virtus player too, acting as a "player-coach". At the end of the season, Tracuzzi led Virtus to its fifth national title. The team doubled the next season, achieving a so-called "back-to-back". During the 1950s the first derbies were played against Gira and Moto Morini, the other two teams of Bologna.<ref>Il Gira seconda squadra bolognese di pallacanestro in serie A, Biblioteca Salaborsa</ref>
Due to the increasing fame of Virtus, the Sala Borsa was no longer suitable for hosting games; so in 1956, the long-time Mayor of Bologna, Giuseppe Dozza, inaugurated a new arena, which was simply known as "Sports Hall" and had a seating capacity of more than 7,000 people.<ref name="Champions Cup 1965-66">Template:Usurped</ref> The arena was later nicknamed Il Madison, after New York's Madison Square Garden and, in 1966, after Dozza's retirement from politics, it was renamed "PalaDozza". From 1956 to 1960, Virtus placed second, always behind its arch-rival Olimpia Milan. At the end of the 1959–60 season, Tracuzzi left Virtus after having won two championships in five seasons, with a winning record of 108–22, being widely considered one of Black V's greatest coaches of all time.<ref>Tutta la genialità di Tracuzzi in una monografia</ref>
1960–1968: Post-dynasty struggles
In 1960, the Spanish coach, Eduardo Kucharski, succeeded Tracuzzi at the head of the team.<ref>Eduardo Kucharski, Virtuspedia</ref> Virtus, led by its best player Gianfranco Lombardi, took part in its first European Champions Cup, but it was ousted by CCA Bucarest in the second round. At the end of the Italian regular season, the Black V placed second again, behind Ignis Varese.<ref>Virtus pallacanestro Bologna – Stagione 1960/1961, Virtuspedia</ref>
In 1962 and 1963 Virtus arrived third and Kucharski was sacked, while Mario Alesini, a former Virtus player, became the new head coach.<ref>Mario Alesini, Virtuspedia</ref> However, in the next three seasons, Alesini did not reach to bring back the title to Bologna. In 1966, Jaroslav Šíp was hired as new head coach, but Virtus never became a real contender for the championship, with Olimpia and Ignis which alternatively won the title until 1968.<ref>Una notte per parlare di Simmenthal e Ignis, Olimpia Milano</ref>
1968–1991: The Porelli era
The 1960s had been an unfortunate decade for Virtus. The turning point occurred in 1968, when the lawyer Gianluigi Porelli was appointed by the then president of the multi-sport club, Giovanni Elkan, at the head of the basketball section.<ref>Addio a Porelli, anima della Virtus, Corriere di Bologna</ref> Alternately nicknamed "Torquemada" or "Robespierre" for his quick and often dictatorial methods, or, more frequently, L'Avvocato ("The Lawyer"), Porelli has been one of the most prominent figures in the history of Virtus which, through initiatives often unpopular but almost always winning, definitively carried towards professionalism.<ref>Quella volta che l'Avvocato..., la Repubblia di Bologna</ref>
1968–1973: Rebuilding
As soon as he arrived, at only 38 years old, Porelli sacked coach Šíp and appointed Renzo Ranuzzi, a former player. However, Ranuzzi lasted one year only, due to the poor result of the team, which ended the season at the 10th place. After another poor result in the 1969–70 season under coach Nello Paratore, in 1970, Porelli hired Black V's legendary coach Vittorio Tracuzzi and sold the best player of the time, Gianfranco Lombardi, unleashing a popular uprising that even ended up in court. Despite Tracuzzi's comeback, the team placed 10th once again.<ref>Almanacco illustrato del basket '90 Modena, Panini, 1989</ref> In 1970, thanks to Porelli, Virtus was also one of the main proponents and founders of the Lega Basket, the governing body of the top-tier level professional Italian basketball league.<ref>Euroleague mourns ULEB founder Gianluigi Porelli.</ref>
In the same year, Virtus broke away from the multi sports club, becoming a joint-stock company. Thanks to this choice, which was highly criticised at the time, Porelli definitively healed the club's finances. In 1971, Porelli hired the American player John Fultz who, supported by important Italian players like Gianni Bertolotti and Luigi Serafini, succeeded in placing the team 5th in the national championship, the best result since 1967–68. In the following season, the team, composed by the same players and coached by Nico Messina, arrived 6th.<ref>Classifiche dal 1971 al 1975</ref>
1973–1978: Peterson's revolution
In 1973, Porelli opened a new season of triumphs, thanks to a partnership with Sinudyne, a famous Italian domestic appliances company, and especially with the engagement of the young American coach Dan Peterson, coming from the Chile's national basketball team.<ref>Dan Peterson, Virtuspedia</ref> Virtus immediately won its first Italian Cup in 1973–74 season, which was club's first title since 1955–56.<ref>La Virtus Sinudyne vince il campionato di basket, Biblioteca SalaBorsa</ref>
In the following season, Virtus signed Tom McMillen, a 22-years-old player from Maryland University, who was selected with the 9th overall pick by the Buffalo Braves during the 1974 NBA draft. He signed with the Braves but postponed his entry into the NBA to attend the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. McMillen lived and studied in the UK, but he moved to Bologna during the weekends to play basketball.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> At the end of the season, characterized by outstanding performances by McMillen, the team placed 4th in the national championship and was eliminated at the quarterfinals of the European Cup Winners' Cup.<ref>Centomila canestri – Storia statistica della Virtus Pallacanestro, Renato Lemmi Gigli, La Fotocromo Italiana, 1988</ref>
In 1975, McMillen started his career in the NBA, so Porelli and Peterson signed Terry Driscoll, a former NBA player and 4th overall pick in 1969 draft.<ref>Fairbank, Dave. "Driscoll's Tribe," Daily Press (Newport News, VA), Sunday, 23 February 2003. Retrieved 27 April 2020</ref> Thanks to Driscoll's leadership and the fundamental support of Italian players like Carlo Caglieris, Gianni Bertolotti, Marco Bonamico and Luigi Serafini, Virtus won its seventh national championship, the first one after twenty years.<ref>Virtus 1975–1976: dopo vent'anni, lo scudetto, BasketCity</ref><ref>LegaBasket, statistiche squadra Template:Webarchive, www.legabasket.it</ref>
In 1976–77, Virtus ended first in the regular season, however it lost the championship finals against Varese, by 2–0. In the following season, the Black V succeeded in reaching the national finals, but nonetheless it lost 2–1 against Varese again.<ref>Classifiche dal 1975 al 1980</ref> The team also reached the final of the Cup Winner's Cup, but lost 84–82 against Gabetti Cantù.<ref name="linguasport">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1978, after two consecutive second places, coach Peterson left the Black V to sign with its historic rival, Olimpia Milan. This move was heavily criticised by Black V's fans, but it was approved by Porelli himself.<ref>Olimpia–Virtus: il derby d'Italia Template:Webarchive, Olimpia Milano</ref> However, despite the controversies which rose around his farewell, Peterson's legacy was huge: the American coach deeply changed the team's organization and contributed in bringing back Virtus to the top of Italian basketball after twenty years of struggles.<ref>Le pillole quotidiane di coach Peterson: il rapporto con Gigi Porelli ai tempi della Virtus Bologna, Super Basket</ref>
1978–1980: Driscoll's back-to-back
After Peterson's departure, Terry Driscoll was appointed new head coach. Porelli signed also Krešimir Ćosić, one of the best centers in Europe; the team was also composed by great Italian players as Renato Villalta, Carlo Caglieris and the captain Gianni Bertolotti. In the national finals, Virtus faced its former coach, Dan Peterson and his new team, Olimpia. Despite the great expectations around a hard-fought final, the Black V easily won the title in only two games.<ref>Almanacco Ufficiale del campionato italiano di basket, Libreria dello Sport, 2006</ref> The team also reached the semi-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup, where it was eliminated for only one point by the Dutch EBBC.<ref name="linguasport"/>
In the following season, Porelli signed Jim McMillian, a 1972 NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> McMillian, who was immediately nicknamed by Virtus fans as Il Duca Nero ("The Black Duke"),<ref>Basket: addio al Duca Nero Mc Millian: dai Lakers al tricolore con la Virtus, Gazzetta dello Sport</ref> led the team achieving a back-to-back, winning its ninth titles against Cantù.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The team took part also in the European Champions Cup, where it was eliminated in the semi-finals group stage.<ref>Template:Usurped</ref>
At the end of the season, Driscoll's two-year contract had expired. Porelli and Driscoll could not agree on a contract. Despite Driscoll's great successes, first as player, one championship, and two championships as a coach in five years, when no agreement was reached, Driscoll chose to return to retire from basketball.<ref>Terry Driscoll, Virtuspedia</ref>
1980–1988: Champions Cup Final and 10th title
At the beginning of the 1980–81 season, Driscoll's assistant, Ettore Zuccheri, became the new head coach, but he was later replaced by Renzo Ranuzzi. The team reached once again the national finals, but it slightly lost the playoff series by 2–1 against Cantù. Returning to the top in Italy, the Black V attempted to become a major team in Europe too, and in 1981, Virtus reached the final of the FIBA European Champions Cup in Strasbourg. However, a few days before the final, McMillian suffered a serious injury against Brindisi and was forced not to play in the final, which then Virtus lost by only one point against Maccabi Tel Aviv, after a very contested game dominated by an outstanding Marco Bonamico, as well as dubious referees' choices.<ref>Bonamico, una notte lunga trent'anni. "Così ci tolsero la Coppa Campioni", la Repubblica</ref>
After the defeat in the Cup, Porelli sacked Ranuzzi and hired coach Aleksandar Nikolić, worldwide known as "The Professor". The team was composed also by young and talented Italian players like Roberto Brunamonti and Augusto Binelli, as well as important foreign players, like the Bahamian center Elvis Rolle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite his fame, Nikolić did not succeed in bringing Virtus back to title, so in 1983, after the brief experiences of George Bisacca and Mauro Di Vincenzo, the 35 years-old Alberto Bucci, from Bologna, became the new head coach. In the same years, the club signed a deal with Granarolo, a milk and dairy production company, which became the new team's sponsor.<ref>Granarolo Felsinea, Virtuspedia</ref> The skilled American small forward Jan van Breda Kolff was also added to the roster. Virtus ended the regular season second, after Peterson's Olimpia. The two teams faced each other in a historic final, always remembered as one of the best in Italian basketball history, in which Virtus defeated Olimpia by 2–1, reaching its 10th national title, also known as La Stella ("The Star"), due to the star which is attributed to teams that manage to win ten national championships.<ref>Alla Virtus Granarolo lo "scudetto della stella", Biblitoeca Salaborsa</ref> In the same year, the team completed a domestic double by adding a National Cup.<ref name=EuroleagueProfile>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1984–85, Virtus reached the semi-final group stage of the Champions Cup, where, however, it was eliminated.<ref>Template:Usurped</ref> After a defeat in the playoffs' quarterfinals against Olimpia, Bucci was sacked and Sandro Gamba became the new coach. Gamba, one of the most successful Italian coaches of all time, did not succeed in winning with Virtus too, exiting in the first round of 1986 playoffs and being eliminated in the quarterfinals of 1987 playoffs.<ref>Classifiche dal 1985 al 1990</ref> In 1988, Krešimir Ćosić, a former Virtus star, replaced Gamba. Despite the head coach's change, the team continued collecting poor successes, being ousted in the Korać Cup's quarterfinals and in the first round of national playoffs.<ref>Krešimir Ćosić, Virtuspedia</ref>
1988–1991: The "Sugar-mania"
In 1988, Porelli hired Bob Hill, who was New York Knicks' head coach until the previous season. Hill brought in Italy two former NBA players: Micheal Ray Richardson, worldwide known as "Sugar", an NBA All-Star and former player for the Knicks and New Jersey Nets, who was banned from the NBA for violations of league's drug policy,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and Clemon Johnson, 1983 NBA champion with the Philadelphia 76ers, who also played for the Indiana Pacers and Seattle SuperSonics.<ref name=postgazette>Cook: Senior class Pitt's Johnson refuses to pout, becomes leader, post-gazette.com published 14 February 2002</ref> At the beginning of the season, Porelli reached an agreement with Knorr, a German food and beverage brand, which became the team's sponsor.<ref>Knorr, Virtuspedia</ref> In 1988–89 Virtus won its third Italian Cup, but it was defeated in the semi-finals for the national championship against Enichem Livorno, coached by Bucci.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Despite the playoffs' elimination, the season was considered a rebirth for Virtus: the national cup was the team's first trophy since 1984 and the great performances of Richardson had brought back the passion for basketball in the city. This period became known as "Sugar-mania", from Richardson's historic nickname.<ref>Sugar – la Giornata Tipo</ref><ref>Il tributo del PalaDozza a Sugar Richardson, BolognaBasket</ref>
In the following summer, Hill surprisingly resigned from his post and his assistant, the 30 years-old Ettore Messina, was appointed new head coach.<ref>Bob Hill, Virtuspedia</ref> The Black V won the Italian Cup again and on 13 March 1990, won its first European title, the FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup, the second-tier level European-wide competition, defeating 79–74 the Real Madrid coached by George Karl. The final was characterized by an outstanding performance of Richardson, able of scoring 29 points.<ref>Michael Ray Richardson, Virtuspedia</ref> However, the team was once again eliminated in national playoffs' quarterfinals against Phonola Caserta.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1990–91, Virtus placed third in the regular season but it was once again eliminated in the national semi-finals by Caserta.<ref>Classifiche dal 1990 al 1995</ref> At the end of the season, Richardson was not confirmed and signed for Slobodna Dalmacija, putting an end to a three-year period in which he brought Virtus to win its first European trophy and laid the foundations for club's successes in the following years.<ref>Sugar e Chalmers, diversamente fenomeni, la Repubblica</ref>
In 1991, after two years of internal struggles within the shareholders' assembly, during which he also briefly lost the control of the club,<ref>Paolo Francia, Virtuspedia</ref> Porelli sold Virtus to Alfredo Cazzola, a local trade fair entrepreneur.<ref>Alfredo Cazzola, Virtuspedia</ref> During 23 years of tenure, Porelli won four national titles, four Italian Cups and one Cup Winner's Cup, transforming a simple basketball section of a multisport club into one of the richest and most successful teams in Europe.<ref>Provvidenza, Gianfranco Civolani, 2009</ref><ref>Gianluigi Porelli, Dan Peterson, 2009</ref>
1991–2000: The Cazzola era
As president, Cazzola brought to Virtus an entrepreneurial mentality, which would be necessary in the team's future growth. In the 1991–92 season, the Black V, led by captain Brunamonti and Jure Zdovc, reached the national semi-finals, but lost against Scavolini Pesaro, which had already eliminated Virtus in the national cup few months before. The team also lost against Partizan in the FIBA European League quarterfinals.<ref>I canestri si riempiono di soldi, Guido Ercole, La Stampa, Turin, 31 October 1991, p. 31</ref>
1992–1995: Danilović's three-peat
In the summer of 1992, Cazzola signed Predrag Danilović, a young Yugoslav player who won the latest FIBA European League with Partizan. Under the strong leadership of Danilović and the important support of Brunamonti, Claudio Coldebella, Paolo Moretti, Augusto Binelli and Bill Wennington, the team, coached by Ettore Messina, won its eleventh national championship, defeating 3–0 the Benetton Treviso.<ref>Predrag Danilovic, Virtuspedia</ref> However the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the FIBA European League by Real Madrid Teka.
In the following season, Messina became the new coach of Italy's national basketball team and Alberto Bucci, returned to coach Virtus, with whom he had won a national championship in 1984. The team was completed with Cliff Levingston, two-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls.<ref>Cliff Levingston, Virtuspedia</ref> In the same year, Cazzola signed a deal with Buckler Beer, a brand of Heineken, which became the new sponsor of the team.<ref>Buckler, Virtuspedia</ref> In October 1993, Virtus took part to the McDonald's Open in Munich, where it arrived second, after the Phoenix Suns.<ref>NBA International Pre-Season and Regular-Season Games, NBA</ref> In May 1994, Virtus won its second consecutive national title, defeating 3–2 Scavolini Pesaro, after a very contested final. Once again, the Black V was ousted during the FIBA European League quarterfinals by Olympiacos.<ref>FIBA Europe 1995, www.fibaeurope.com</ref>
In the 1994–95 season, Joe Binion replaced Levingston, while the rest of the team remained untouched. In May 1995, Virtus won its 13th title, defeating 3–0 Benetton Treviso, accomplishing a so-called "three-peat".<ref>Mito delle Vu Nere</ref> However, for the third consecutive times, the team which dominated the Italian league was eliminated at the FIBA European League quarterfinals, this time by Panathinaikos.<ref>Template:Usurped, www.linguasport.com</ref>
1995–1997: Transition years and Brunamonti's retirement
After the three-peat, Danilović left Virtus for the Miami Heat. Cazzola signed Arijan Komazec, a Croatian guard-forward, and Orlando Woolridge, a long-time NBA player; while young Italian players like Alessandro Abbio became increasingly important. In September 1995, Virtus won its first Italian Supercup against Benetton Treviso;<ref>Tabellino finale della Supercoppa 1995</ref> while in October, the Black V participated in the McDonald's Championship, arriving second after the Houston Rockets. The team ended the regular season in first place, but he was eventually eliminated by Stefanel Milano in the playoffs' semi-finals. Moreover, the team did not succeed in passing the second group stage of the Champions Cup.<ref>FIBA Europe 1996, www.fibaeurope.com</ref>
In 1996, captain Roberto Brunamonti retired from basketball after 14 seasons as a Virtus player.<ref>Roberto Brunamonti, Virtuspedia</ref> During the summer, the club signed important international players like Zoran Savić from Real Madrid Teka and Branislav Prelević from PAOK. Moreover, Kinder, a product brand line of Italian confectionery multinational Ferrero SpA, became the new sponsor of Virtus.<ref>Kinder, Virtuspedia</ref> On 8 March 1997, coach Bucci was replaced by Lino Frattin, who after a few days, won Black V's fifth Italian Cup against Cantù.<ref>Coppa Italia 1997 – Tabellone del torneo</ref> The team was eliminated by Stefanel Milano in the Top 16 of the FIBA EuroLeague, the former Champions Cup.<ref>FIBA Europe 1997, www.fibaeurope.com</ref> In the national playoffs, Virtus was eliminated in the semi-finals by the other Bologna's team, Teamsystem, which, after years of poor results, was becoming increasingly competitive.<ref>Classifiche dal 1995 al 2000</ref>
1997–2000: Danilović's comeback and the first EuroLeague
In 1997, Roberto Brunamonti became team's general manager,<ref>Roberto Brunamonit, Virtuspedia</ref> while coach Messina and Sasha Danilović returned to Virtus and the team was completed with important international players like Radoslav Nesterovič, Antoine Rigaudeau, Hugo Sconochini and Alessandro Frosini, as well as with the confirmation of Zoran Savić and Alessandro Abbio.<ref>Stagione 1997–98, Virtuspedia</ref> In the same year, the club moved to PalaMalaguti, an indoor sporting arena in Casalecchio di Reno with a seating capacity of more than 8,000 people, leaving PalaDozza after almost 40 years.<ref>Il palasport di Casalecchio, Virtuspedia</ref>
On 23 April 1998, Virtus won its first EuroLeague, defeating 58–44 AEK in Barcelona, with Savić elected MVP of the Final Four.<ref name=EuroleagueProfile /> While on 31 May, Virtus conquered its 14th national title, defeating in Game 5 of the final, Teamsystem Bologna. At twenty seconds from the end of the game, with Fortitudo leading by 4, Danilović scored a three-point shot and at the same time suffered a foul by Dominique Wilkins, completing the so-called "four-point shot".<ref>Il tiro da quattro di Sasha Danilovic, LBA</ref> Then Virtus won the match in the overtime. The 1998 final between Virtus and Fortiudo is widely considered as the greatest one in the history of Italian basketball, with two teams from the same city, which were among the best ones in the continent.<ref>Basket, venti anni fa il tiro impossibile di Danilovic: e la Virtus beffò la Fortitudo, la Repubblica</ref> During this period, Bologna was nicknamed "Basket City", due to the fame and the victories of town's two teams.<ref>Basket city, i migliori giocatori della storia della Virtus, Bologna Today</ref>
In the following season, Virtus won its 7th Italian Cup in January 1999. The team also defeated Fortitudo 57–62 in a historic EuroLeague's semi-final in Munich, but it lost 82–74 in the final against Žalgiris of Tyus Edney and was eliminated in the semi-finals for the national championship by Treviso.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1999–2000 season, the Black V lost the Italian Cup final against Treviso and was defeated 83–76 by AEK, in the FIBA Saporta Cup's final in Lausanne.<ref>FIBA Europe 1999–2000</ref> Moreover, Virtus was once again eliminated by Treviso, in the semi-finals for the national championship.<ref>Almanacco illustrato del Basket 1991, Panini, 1990</ref>
In May 2000, Cazzola sold Virtus to Marco Madrigali, a video game entrepreneur, who became the new president of the club.<ref>Marco Madrigali, Virtuspedia</ref> Under Cazzola's presidency, Virtus lived a period which became known as its "Golden Age", in which the Black V won four national titles, two Italian Cups and a EuroLeague, becoming one of the most notable and successful teams in Europe.<ref>Quando Bologna era Basket City</ref>
2000–2003: The Madrigali era
2000–2002: Ginóbili's rise and the second EuroLeague
In the 2000–01 season, Madrigali and Brunamonti signed important players, like Marko Jarić, Manu Ginóbili, Matjaž Smodiš, Rashard Griffith and David Andersen; while at the beginning of the season, Sasha Danilović suddenly announced his retirement from basketball.<ref>Danilovic dice basta, il basket perde la star, la Repubblica</ref> The absence of a strong leader like Danilović and the subsequent ban for doping of another historic player like Hugo Sconochini, forced every single player of the team to take more responsibility, but at the same time opened spaces to the immature and talented newcomers, free to show their abilities and experience at a high level.
After a tough beginning, the season had a turning point during the Christmas derby against Fortitudo, which was soundly won by the Black V by 99–62. From then, Virtus started an outstanding season, characterized by an unrepeatable group capable of beating every record and becoming one of the strongest European teams of all time and, according to many, the strongest ever.<ref>Le squadre più forti di sempre: la Virtus del Triplete di Messina</ref><ref>Il Grande Slam della Virtus Kinder</ref> On 28 April 2001, Virtus won its seventh Italian Cup against Pesaro,<ref>Tabellino della finale di Coppa Italia 2001, www.legabasket.it</ref> while on 10 May, the Black V won its second EuroLeague, defeating 3–2 Tau Cerámica, in the first and only series in the history of EuroLeague finals. Manu Ginóbili was elected Finals MVP.<ref>Finals, Game 5: Kinder Bologna becomes first champ in last game!, EuroLeague</ref> On 19 June, Virtus won its 15th national championship, beating Paf Wennington Bologna 3–0,<ref name=EuroleagueProfile /><ref>Virtus, Grande Slam. Lo Scudetto dopo l'Europa</ref> while Ginobili was elected Italian League MVP too.<ref name="bio">Manu Ginoboli Info Page – Bio Template:Webarchive, nba.com. Retrieved 17 June 2007.</ref> After the double in 1997–98, in 2000–01 season, Virtus completed a so-called Triple Crown (known in Italy as Grande Slam), winning all the trophies that it could won.<ref>Tre volte Vrtus Bologna: il grande slam del 2001, La Giornata Tipo</ref>
In the following season, Virtus won its 8th Italian Cup, but after some defeats Madrigali fired Messina. However, after a field invasion by Virtus supporters before a match against Pallacanestro Trieste, Madrigali was forced to re-hire him.<ref>Il palasport caccia via Madrigali aggredito deve scappare: mollerà?, la Repubblica</ref> Despite this, the team lost 89–83 the EuroLeague final, which was held in PalaMalaguti, against Panathinaikos of Dejan Bodiroga and Željko Obradović,<ref>EuroLeague 2001–2001</ref> and was eliminated in the semi-finals for the national championship by Benetton Treviso.<ref>Classifica 2001–2001 Template:Webarchive, Lega Basket</ref>
2002–2003: Financial problems and interdiction
In 2003, Ginóbili moved to the NBA, where he played for the San Antonio Spurs, and Ettore Messina was hired by Benetton, thus Bogdan Tanjević was appointed new head coach.<ref>Bogdan Tanjevic</ref> During the summer, due to contrasts with Madrigali, Brunamonti also left the club, after nearly 20 years spent as player and general manager.<ref>Non mi basta restare solo per un contratto, Roberto Brunamonti, Virtuspedia</ref>
After a soundly defeat in Fabriano, Tanjević was replaced by Valerio Bianchini, who failed in reaching the playoffs for the first time in Virtus history but succeeded in saving the team from relegation.<ref>Valerio Bianchini, Virtuspedia</ref> However, suffering from serious financial problems, mainly caused by the failure of Madrigali's video game company CTO SpA, Virtus was excluded from the Serie A in August 2003, after missing payments to players, first of all the young Slovenian Sani Bečirovič.<ref name=EuroleagueProfile /><ref>"Virtus Bologna is no more."La Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma, 4 August 2003. Retrieved on 3 June 2015.Template:In lang</ref><ref>"Virtus is out, Messina retaken.", Messaggero Veneto – Giornale del Friuli via Lega Basket, 1 September 2003. Retrieved on 3 June 2015.Template:In lang</ref>
2003–2013: The Sabatini era
The bankruptcy was avoided thanks to the intervention of a local trade fair entrepreneur, Claudio Sabatini, who transacted all the debts of the club, after agreements with creditors and took over the company from Madrigali.<ref>La Virtus è di Sabatini, Gazzetta dello Sport</ref> Sabatini acquired also the club Progresso Castelmaggiore, from a small town in Bologna's hinterland, which played in Serie A2 and sponsored the new team with FuturVirtus brand, guaranteeing, therefore, the continuity of the glorious name "Virtus" despite the exclusion from the championships.<ref>Claudio Sabatini, Virtuspedia</ref>
2003–2005: Promotion to Serie A
In 2003–04 season, Sabatini signed important former NBA players like Charles Smith, Vonteego Cummings and Rick Brunson. The team was initially coached by Giampiero Ticchi, who was replaced in November by Alberto Bucci, Black V's historic coach. Despite good premises, FuturVirtus did not reach the promotion in Serie A, losing 3–0 in the final series of playoffs from Aurora Jesi.<ref>Classifiche, risultati e statistiche sulla stagione 2003–04, LegaDue</ref>
During the summer of 2004 the club obtained the re-affiliation to the Italian Basketball Federation and the right to use the name "Virtus Pallacanestro" again. The team was completed, among others, with Corey Brewer, A.J. Guyton and Bennett Davison and was coached by Giordano Consolini, who served as Messina's assistant for years.<ref>Giordano Consolini, Virtuspedia</ref> On 3 June 2005, Virtus returned to the top division, defeating 3–0 the Premiata Montegranaro.<ref>La Virtus Bologna torna in A, Gazzetta dello Sport</ref>
2005–2009: National finals and return to Europe
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In the 2005–06 season, Sabatini hired Zare Markovski from Macedonia as new head coach and signed, among others, David Bluthenthal, Dušan Vukčević and Christian Drejer. Despite a good season's start the team ended 9th, out of the playoffs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After the end of the season, Bluthenthal, who was Black V's top scorer, went to Fortitudo, while Virtus confirmed Vukčević and Drejer, as well as coach Markovski. Moreover, Sabatini signed Travis Best, a former NBA player for the Indiana Pacers, Brett Blizzard, Guilherme Giovannoni, Vlado Ilievski and Tyrone Grant. The team reached the Italian Cup final, losing against Benetton Treviso and placed second in the regular season, qualifying for the playoffs after a five-year absence. Markovski's team reached the championship finals, but it was defeated 3–0 by Montepaschi Siena.<ref>Risultati 2006–07 su LegaBasket</ref> The Black V also reached the EuroCup semi-finals, where it was defeated by the Ukrainian team Azovmash Mariupol.<ref name=EuroleagueProfile />
In the following summer, the team was suddenly reshaped and Markovski was fired by Sabatini, whose presidency was characterized by his fickle nature, which led him implementing unexpected and often unpopular choices. The president hired Stefano Pillastrini as new head coach and signed, among others, Alan Anderson, Delonte Holland, Dewarick Spencer and Roberto Chiacig.<ref>LegaBasket – Statistiche squadra</ref> Virtus participated in the EuroLeague, but arrived last in the Group A, winning only two games out of 14. In January 2008, Pillastrini was fired and Renato Pasquali became the new coach; after few months Sabatini re-signed Travis Best, who led the team to the second consecutive Italian Cup final, lost against Avellino. However, Virtus ended the season at the 16th place.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2008–09 season, the team was completely renewed with prominent players like the former NBA player Earl Boykins, Keith Langford, Sharrod Ford and the re-sign of Dušan Vukčević. After few months, coach Pasquali was succeeded by Matteo Boniciolli.<ref>Matteo Bonicciolli, Virtuspedia</ref> On 21 February, Virtus played its third consecutive Italian Cup final, which once again lost against Siena. On 26 April 2009, Virtus won the European third tier trophy, the EuroChallenge, against Cholet Basket, thanks to 21 points of the Final Four MVP Keith Langford.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The team ended the regular season at the 5th place and was eliminated in the first round of national playoffs by Treviso. Boniciolli was immediately fired by president Sabatini and the team was reshaped again during summer.<ref>Rivoluzione Virtus: Sabatini caccia tutti, Corriere di Bologna</ref>
2009–2013: Transition years
In the following season, Sabatini hired Lino Lardo as head coach and appointed Vukčević as team's captain.<ref>Dusan Vukcevic, Virtuspedia</ref> He also signed, among others, David Moss, Andre Collins, Petteri Koponen and Viktor Sanikidze. Virtus lost its fourth consecutive Italian Cup final and ended the season 5th, being eliminated 3–2 in the first round of the playoffs by Cantù.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2010–11, the team was completed with Giuseppe Poeta, Valerio Amoroso, Jared Homan, as well as K.C. Rivers from 2011. The Black V ended the regular season 8th and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Siena.<ref>Risultati su LegaBasketTemplate:Dead link</ref>
In 2011–2012, Sabatini hired Alessandro Finelli as new coach and signed important players like Chris Douglas-Roberts, a former NBA players, Terrell McIntyre and Angelo Gigli. In late 2011, Sabatini sold Virtus to a foundation of local entrepreneurs, however, he remained as CEO and de facto general manager.<ref>Virtus, Sabatini parla con 2 imprenditori «Tra 7 giorni lo statuto della fondazione», Corriere di Bologna</ref> At the end of the regular season, the Black V arrived 5th, being eliminated by Dinamo Sassari, in the first round of the playoffs.<ref>Risultati su LegaBasketTemplate:Dead link</ref> In the following season, Virtus signed, among others, Steven Smith, Richard Mason Rocca and Jacob Pullen. During the season, Luca Bechi succeeded Finelli as new head coach.<ref>Luca Bechi, Virtuspedia</ref> The team ended the season at the 14th place.<ref>Classifica 2012–13 su LegaBasketTemplate:Dead link</ref>
2013–2016: Struggles and relegation
After years of poor successes, Sabatini definitively exited from the club and in 2013, Renato Villalta, a former Virtus star, was appointed president.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013–14 season, Virtus signed, among others, Matt Waksh, Willie Warren and Shawn King. In January 2014, Bechi was sacked due to poor results, and Giorgio Valli became the new coach.<ref>Giorgio Valli, Virtuspedia</ref> However, the team arrived 13th, out of the playoffs.
In 2014–15 season, Virtus returned to the playoffs, thanks to an outstanding season of its top-scorers Allan Ray, Jeremy Hazell and Okaro White. However, it was eliminated in the first round by Olimpia Milan.
In the following year Villalta was abruptly removed from his post and Francesco Bertolini was appointed president by the foundation.<ref>Francesco Bertolini, Virtuspedia</ref> After a few months, Bertolini was replaced too by Alberto Bucci, the former Virtus coach, who won three national titles with the Black V between 1980s and 1990s. However, the season was characterized by a serious injury to team captain, Allan Ray, and the substitute players signed by the club failed to adequately replace the injured top-player.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 4 May 2016, at the end of the regular season the team ranked 16th and last, therefore it was relegated to Serie A2 for the first time in its history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2016–present: The Zanetti era
2016–2019: Promotion and Champions League
In the following summer, president Bucci announced Alessandro Ramagli as new head coach of Virtus. The club built a good team for the league, led by important players such as Guido Rosselli, Klaudio Ndoja, Michael Umeh and Kenny Lawson. During the season an important change in ownership occurred: the coffee entrepreneur and former politician, Massimo Zanetti, owner of Segafredo, who was also team's sponsor, became the majority shareholder of the club.<ref>Zanetti conquista la Virtus. È il primo socio con il 40%</ref><ref>Zanetti conquista la Virtus</ref> Virtus ended second in the regular season behind Treviso and on 19 June 2017, won the playoffs, beating Trieste by 3–0, thus returning to the top series after only one year. During the playoffs, the Black V returned after more than twenty years to Bologna's historic arena, PalaDozza, which became the new official home court in the following season.
In summer 2017, the club signed two of the most prominent Italian players, Pietro Aradori and Alessandro Gentile, as well as two international players like Marcus Slaughter and Oliver Lafayette. Despite good premises, the team was eliminated in the first round of Italian Cup's Final Eight and failed to qualify for the championship playoffs.
The 2018–19 season began with the appointment of Alessandro Dalla Salda as new club's CEO and the hire of Stefano Sacripanti as new head coach. Aradori and Filippo Baldi Rossi were confirmed and the club signed, among others, Tony Taylor, Kevin Punter, Amath M'Baye and Brian Qvale, to participate in the Basketball Champions League, which was Virtus's first European competition after ten years. The team reached a record of seven wins in the first seven games of the continental competition, which had never been achieved before.<ref>La Virtus Bologna supera anche Strasburgo ed è imbattuta! Colpo di Avellino che sbanca Le Mans</ref> In March 2019, the team signed Mario Chalmers, two-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat.<ref>Basket, la Virtus chiama Chalmers, due titoli Nba a Miami insieme a LeBron</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 9 March, president Alberto Bucci died at 70 years old, due to complications from a cancer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Il basket piange Bucci: muore a 70 anni il coach della stella delle V nere</ref> On 11 March, after a defeat against Cantù and with Virtus temporarily out of playoffs, the team board sacked Sacripanti and appointed the Serbian Aleksandar Đorđević as new head coach.<ref>Basket, Serie A: Ribaltone Virtus, via Sacripanti, il coach è Djordjevic</ref> On 4 April, the Black V defeated Nanterre 92, reaching the BCL Final Four in Antwerp,<ref>Basket, Champions League: Virtus Bologna qualificata alle Final Four</ref> which won on 5 May defeating Iberostar Tenerife 73–61, thanks to an outstanding game by Kevin Punter, who was able to score 26 points and was nominated Final Four MVP.<ref>Finale a suon di triple: Kevin Punter vince il premio di MVP</ref> The BCL was the fifth European title in team's history and the first one after ten years.<ref>La Virtus Bologna conquista la Champions League: Tenerife ko in finale 73–61</ref>
In July 2019, Virtus opened its women's basketball wing, to participate in the Serie A1 championship.<ref>Bologna ora ha anche le donne in A-1: obiettivo salvezza, poi le ambizioni</ref> In the same month, Giuseppe Sermasi, a local entrepreneur and former vice president, became Virtus new president, holding the vacant post after Bucci's death, while Luca Baraldi, a prominent sports executive and a leading manager of Segafredo, was appointed new CEO.<ref>Nuovo CdA Virtus Bologna: Sermasi presidente, Baraldi amministratore delegato</ref>
2019–2023: Teodosić's magic, the 16th title and the EuroCup
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On 13 July, Virtus signed a three-year deal with Miloš Teodosić, 2016 EuroLeague champion and former NBA player,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> who was widely considered one of the best European point guard of all time.<ref>Virtus Bologna, colpo da Eurolega: arriva Teodosic!, Gazzetta dello Sport</ref> In August, the Black V signed Kyle Weems, a small forward from Tofaş, and Stefan Marković, a point guard from BC Khimki who, along with Teodosić, would become the backbone of the team in the following seasons.<ref>Ufficiale: la Virtus Bologna annuncia la firma di Stefan Markovic, Basket Italy</ref> Among others, the club signed also Vince Hunter, Julian Gamble and Giampaolo Ricci.<ref>Serie A, i roster completi della stagione 2019/2020, Sportando</ref> In the 2019–20 season, Virtus played some home games, including the derby against Fortitudo won 94–62, at the Virtus Segafredo Arena, a temporary indoor arena with a capacity of nearly 10,000 seats, located in the Fiera District.<ref>Virtus Bologna, Baraldi: "Siamo alla pari con Milano, esordio in Fiera con Treviso", Basket Universo</ref><ref>Virtus Segafredo Arena: palazzo temporaneo da 8.970 posti Template:Webarchive, Sportando</ref>
On 7 April 2020, after more than a month of suspension, the Italian Basketball Federation officially ended the 2019–20 season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic that severely hit Italy.<ref>Italian Basketball Federation officially ends LBA 2019–20 season, Sportando</ref> Virtus ended the season first, with 18 wins and only 2 defeats, but the title was not assigned.<ref>Italian Basketball president Petrucci announces that LBA title won’t be assigned, Sportando</ref> On 5 May, the EuroLeague's commissioner Jordi Bertomeu announced the cancellation of the EuroCup season too.<ref>Basketball’s EuroLeague cancels season because of virus, Washington Post</ref> Virtus, which had achieved the league's playoffs, was confirmed for the following season.<ref>EuroCup 2020–2021: garantito un posto a Virtus Bologna e Reyer Venezia, Sportando</ref>
After the early end of the season, the team was largely confirmed for the following championship and, in May and June, the club signed prominent Italian players, like Awudu Abass and Amedeo Tessitori,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Virtus Bologna: è fatta per Awudu Abass, Sportando</ref> and homegrown ones, like Amar Alibegović.<ref>La Virtus Bologna annuncia l’ingaggio di Amar AlibegovicTemplate:Dead link, Sportando</ref> In September, Virtus hosted the Supercup's Final Four at the Segafredo Arena, but it lost against Olimpia Milan 75–68; the Supercup was the first competition since the cancellation of the previous season.<ref>Festa Milano, la Supercoppa è tua! Datome morde, Virtus Bologna piegata, Gazzetta dello Sport</ref> In November 2020, Virtus signed a three-year deal with Marco Belinelli, from the San Antonio Spurs. Belinelli, one of the greatest Italian players of all time and 2014 NBA Champion, started his career with Virtus in the early 2000s.<ref>Marco Belinelli è un nuovo giocatore dela Virtus Segafredo Bologna Template:Webarchive, virtus.it</ref> The season was also characterized by the emergence of Alessandro Pajola, the young Italian point guard who became one team's most important players.<ref>LBA Awards, Pajola premiato come miglior Under 22, Bologna Today</ref> In April 2021, despite a winning record of 19–2, Virtus was defeated in the EuroCup's semifinals by UNICS Kazan.<ref>Virtus, la notte più nera. In Eurolega vanno i russi, la Repubblica</ref> However, the season ended with a great success. In fact, after having knocked out 3–0 both Basket Treviso in the quarterfinals and New Basket Brindisi in the semifinals, on 11 June Virtus defeated 4–0 its historic rival Olimpia Milano in the national finals, winning its 16th national title and the first one after twenty years.<ref>Virtus, sei magnifica! Bologna, scudetto dopo 20 anni, Milano schiacciata 4–0, Gazzetta dello Sport</ref> Teodosić was appointed MVP of the finals.<ref>Milos Teodosic è l’MVP delle LBA Finals UnipolSai, Sportando</ref>
On 15 June, after a few days from the victory, Đorđević was not confirmed as head coach at the end of his two-year contract, due to some tensions with the club's ownership occurred during the season.<ref>Grazie Sasha Template:Webarchive, Virtus Segafredo Bologna</ref> On 18 June, the club hired the new head coach, signing a three-year deal with Sergio Scariolo, from the Toronto Raptors.<ref>Sergio Scariolo nuovo head coach di Virtus Segafredo Bologna Template:Webarchive, Virtus Segafredo Bologna</ref> Moreover, Marković, Hunter, Gamble and Ricci were not renewed, while in July and August 2021 Virtus signed important foreign players like Ekpe Udoh, Kevin Hervey and Mouhammadou Jaiteh,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as well as one of the most talented Italian point guards, Nico Mannion, from the Golden State Warriors.<ref>Nico Mannion è un giocatore della Virtus Bologna, Sportando</ref> On 21 September, the team won its second Supercup, defeating Olimpia Milano 90–84.<ref>Basket, la Virtus Bologna vince la Supercoppa: Milano ancora ko, la Repubblica</ref> However, during the same month, Udoh and Abass suffered serious knee injuries<ref>Communication on Ekpe Udoh Template:Webarchive, Virtus Bologna</ref><ref>Virtus Bologna, si ferma Abass: infortunio al ginocchio, Corriere dello Sport</ref> and Virtus signed JaKarr Sampson from the Indiana Pacers and Isaïa Cordinier from Nanterre 92 to replace them.<ref>Virtus Bologna, arriva JaKarr Sampson: lo "presenta" LeBron James, Sky Sport</ref><ref>Virtus Bologna, arriva Cordinier: è ufficiale, Il Resto del Carlino</ref>
On 28 October 2021, Zanetti was elected president of Virtus, succeeding Giuseppe Sermasi at the head of the club, and became the only shareholder after a €2 million capital increase.<ref>Assemblea Soci Virtus: Zanetti presidente, Baraldi CEO, Sermasi e Gualandi Consiglieri, Sportando</ref><ref>Virtus Segafredo Bologna, lanciato un aumento di capitale da 2 milioni di euro, Sportando</ref> In early 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent international sanctions against Russia forced all international players to leave the country. On 3 March, Virtus signed the Italian point guard Daniel Hackett,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while on 7 March, the club reached an agreement with the Georgian power forward Tornike Shengelia, both of them from CSKA Moscow.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Despite a tough EuroCup regular season ended at the fourth place, Virtus ousted Lietkabelis, Ulm and Valencia in the first three rounds of the playoffs and, on 11 May 2022, defeated Frutti Extra Bursaspor by 80–67 at the Segafredo Arena, winning its first EuroCup and qualifying for the EuroLeague after 14 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With 21 points scored, the Serbian point guard Miloš Teodosić was once again appointed MVP of the final.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, despite having ended the regular season at the first place and having ousted 3–0 both Pesaro and Tortona in the first two rounds of playoffs, Virtus was defeated 4–2 in the national finals by Olimpia Milan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During the following summer, Udoh, Hervey, Sampson, Alibegović and Tessitori left the club, but Virtus confirmed the backbone of the roster, notably including Shengelia, who was renewed until June 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Moreover, the club signed prominent foreign players like Jordan Mickey, Gabriel Lundberg, Semi Ojeleye and Ismaël Bako.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 29 September 2022, after having ousted Milano in the semifinals, Virtus won its third Supercup, defeating 72–69 Banco di Sardegna Sassari and achieving a back-to-back, following the 2021 trophy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, despite good premises Virtus ended the EuroLeague season at the 14th place, thus it did not qualify for the playoffs.<ref>Virtus, il punto a fine EuroLega. BolognaBasket</ref> Moreover, the team was defeated in the Italian Basketball Cup final by Brescia. In June, after having ousted 3–0 both Brindisi and Tortona, Virtus was defeated 4–3 by Olimpia Milan in the national finals, following a series which was widely regarded among the best in the latest years of Italian basketball.<ref>Basket, Milano batte Bologna nella decisiva gara 7 e vince il suo 30esimo scudetto. Gli highlights. la Repubblica</ref><ref>Basket, Milano batte Bologna 67-55 nella finalissima e si conferma campione per la trentesima volta. Rai News</ref>
On 11 July 2023, Miloš Teodosić did not renewed his expired contract with Virtus, amicably parting ways with the Italian club and signing with KK Crvena zvezda, marking the end to four fantastic seasons, which saw the Black V returning to the top of European basketball after decades. With the Serbian star, often nicknamed "Il Mago" (Template:Langx) by fans,<ref>Magia Teodosic, l'illusionista che piace a tutti. la Repubblica</ref> Virtus won its 16th title in 2021, reached the national finals three times in a row, and also won the EuroCup in 2022 and two Supercups.<ref>Grazie di tutto, Teo. Virtus Bologna</ref>
2023–2025: Shengelia's dominance and the 17th title
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In the following summer, the roster deeply changed. In addition to Teodosić, players like Weems, Jaiteh, Mannion and Bako left the club, as Virtus signed the Italian power forward Achille Polonara,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as well as the American point guard Jaleen Smith,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Serbian small forward Ognjen Dobrić,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the American centers Bryant Dunston and Devontae Cacok.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Moreover, new developments occurred within the club ownership. On 27 June, Carlo Gherardi, owner of CRIF, a global company specialized in business information and analytics, became the minority shareholder of the club, acquiring a participation of 40%.<ref>CRIBIS acquisisce una partecipazione di minoranza di Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna. Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna</ref>
On 15 September, just a few weeks before the season start, Scariolo was fired following controversial statements regarding the new roster and the upcoming season,<ref>Clamoroso a Bologna, la Virtus esonera Scariolo. Gazzetta dello Sport</ref> and the club hired Luca Banchi as new head coach.<ref>Luca Banchi nuovo Head Coach di Virtus Segafredo Bologna. Virtus Bologna</ref> On 24 September, after having ousted Milano in the semifinals, Virtus won its fourth Supercup, and the third in a row, defeating 97–60 Germani Brescia.<ref>Una Virtus esagerata stravince la Supercoppa. la Repubblica</ref> In December, Smith left the club joining KK Partizan and Cacok suffered a serious injury, that brought the club to sign the Croatian center Ante Žižić from Anadolu Efes and the Latvian guard Rihards Lomažs from Merkezefendi.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite an impressive first half of the season, Virtus ended the EuroLeague regular season at the 10th place, with a 17-17 record, qualifying only for the play-in, where after having defeated 67–64 Anadolu Efes, it lost against Baskonia 89–77, not qualifying for the playoffs.<ref>Basket, la Virtus perde lo spareggio con il Baskonia ed è decima. Rai News</ref> Moreover, the Black V placed first during the Italian regular season but, after having knocked out Tortona by 3–2 and Reyer Venezia by 3–1, it lost the third consecutive final against Milan by 3–1.<ref>L'Olimpia Milano chiude sul 3-1 le finali con la Virtus Bologna, è il terzo scudetto consevutivo e il 31° della storia. EuroSport</ref>
In the following months, despite losing Lundberg, Dunston, Abass and Mickey, the club confirmed the backbone of the roster and added prominent international players like the small forward Will Clyburn, a former EuroLeague champion and Final Four MVP, and the point guard Matt Morgan, as well as solid Italian players like the center Mouhamet Diouf and the power forward Nicola Akele.<ref>Virtus Bologna, presentato Will Clyburn: "Non sono qui per fare la superstar, ma per aiutare la squadra a crescere". EuroSport</ref><ref>Virtus Bologna, svelato il roster 2024-25: Will Clyburn, Matt Morgan e Andrej Grazulis tra i volti nuovi. EuroSport</ref> In December 2024, Banchi resigned as head coach after a 2–11 start in the EuroLeague,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the club signed Duško Ivanović as his successor.<ref>La Virtus ha scelto: in panchina arriva il duro Ivanovic, avversario della finale di Eurolega 2001. Gazzetta dello Sport</ref> In January 2025, a major change occurred in the club's management, when Zanetti removed his long-time associate Luca Baraldi as CEO of Virtus, ending his 6 years-long tenure.<ref>Virtus Bologna, Massimo Zanetti: «Luca Baraldi lascia, ha sbagliato il budget quattro volte in un anno. Il club non fallirà, Gherardi? Siamo amici». Corriere della Sera</ref> Virtus ended the EuroLeague at the 17th place, following a disappointing regular season. After the national championship season, ended at the first place, the club signed Brandon Taylor, a point guard from Básquet Coruña, capable of turning the season around. Virtus eliminated Venezia 3–2 and their arch-rival Milan 3–1, reaching their fifth finals in a row. They then defeated Brescia 3–0, claiming the Italian championship title for the 17th time.<ref>La Virtus Bologna vince il suo 17° scudetto: 3-0 a Brescia in finale playoff. Sky Sport</ref><ref>La Virtus Bologna ha vinto la Serie A di basket. Il Post</ref> After having dominated the series against both Milan and Brescia, Shengelia was named MVP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Toko Shengelia è l'MVP delle LBA Finals. Sport Mediaset</ref>
2025–present: A new beginning with Edwards
Significant changes took place in the following weeks: Belinelli announced his retirement, becoming club's brand ambassador, while Shengelia and Cordinier departed the club after four successful seasons, bringing an end to the core group that had led the club to the 2022 EuroCup triumph and the 2025 national championship. The club then signed the two guards Carsen Edwards and Luca Vildoza,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> key players around whom it built the new team, also bringing in forwards like Saliou Niang, Derrick Alston Jr. and Karim Jallow, and the center Alen Smailagić.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Moreover, in June, Zanetti bought back Carlo Gherardi's shares, regaining full ownership of the club.<ref>Virtus Bologna, Zanetti si riprende le quote di Gherardi. SportMediaset</ref>
Logos
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Multi sport club SEF Virtus logo
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Used during the 1930s
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Used during the 1940s and the 1950s
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Used from the 1960s until 1984
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Used after the 10th title of 1984
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Current logo used since 1996
Arena
Since its foundation, Virtus Bologna has changed several home arenas. Each of them was more than just a basketball court, rather a real "house" of the Black V, marking, in the period when they were used, a different era of the long club's history:
In 2023, the club officially presented the project for a new arena with 10,500 seating capacity in the Fiera District, next to the temporary Virtus Arena, which will be ready in 2026.<ref>Virtus Bologna, ecco la nuova Arena: 10.000 posti entro Capodanno 2025. Sportando</ref>
Honours
Domestic competitions
- Winners (17): 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2020–21, 2024–25
- Runners-up (20): 1935, 1936, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1942–43, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 2006–07, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
- Winners (8): 1973–74, 1983–84, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02
- Runners-up (7): 1992–93, 1999–00, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2022–23
- Winners (4): 1995, 2021, 2022, 2023
- Runners-up (9): 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2020, 2024
- Winners (1): 2017
- Winners (1): 2016–17
European competitions
- Winners (2): 1997–98, 2000–01
- Runners-up (3): 1980–81, 1998–99, 2001–02
- 4th place (1): 1979–80
- Final Four (3): 1998, 1999, 2002
- FIBA Saporta Cup (defunct)
- Winners (1): 2018–19
- FIBA EuroChallenge (defunct)
- Winners (1): 2008–09
- FIBA EuroCup (defunct)
- 3rd place (1): 2006–07
Worldwide competitions
- Runners-up (1): 2020
- McDonald's Championship (defunct)
Unofficial
- Winners (1): 2000–01
Season by season
Top performances in European and Worldwide competitions
| Season | Achievement | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EuroLeague | |||
| 1979–80 | Semifinal group stage | 4th place in a group with Maccabi Tel Aviv, Real Madrid, Bosna, Nashua EBBC and Partizan | |
| 1980–81 | Final | Lost to Maccabi Tel Aviv 79–80 in the final (Strasbourg) | |
| 1984–85 | Semifinal group stage | 6th place in a group with Cibona, Real Madrid, Maccabi Tel Aviv, CSKA Moscow and Banco Roma | |
| 1991–92 | Quarterfinals | Eliminated 2–1 by Partizan, 65–78 (L) in Belgrade, 61–60 (W) and 65–69 (L) in Bologna | |
| 1992–93 | Quarterfinals | Eliminated 2–0 by Real Madrid Teka, 56–76 (L) in Bologna and 58–79 (L) in Madrid | |
| 1993–94 | Quarterfinals | Eliminated 2–1 by Olympiacos, 77–64 (W) in Bologna, 69–89 (L) and 62–65 (L) in Piraeus | |
| 1994–95 | Quarterfinals | Eliminated 2–1 by Panathinaikos, 85–68 (W) in Bologna, 55–63 (L) and 56–99 (L) in Athens | |
| 1997–98 | Champions | Defeated Partizan Zepter 83–61 in the semifinal, defeated AEK 58–44 in the final of the Final Four in Barcelona | |
| 1998–99 | Final | Defeated Teamsystem Bologna 62–57 in the semifinal, lost to Žalgiris 74–82 in the final (Munich) | |
| 2000–01 | Champions | Defeated 3–2 Tau Cerámica, 65–78 (L) and 94–73 (W) in Bologna, 80–60 (W) and 79–96 (L) in Vitoria-Gasteiz, finally 82–74 (W) in Bologna | |
| 2001–02 | Final | Defeated Benetton Treviso 90–82 in the semifinal, lost to Panathinaikos 83–89 in the final (Bologna) | |
| EuroCup | |||
| 2020–21 | Semifinals | Eliminated 2–1 by UNICS Kazan, 80–76 (W) in Bologna, 85–81 (L) in Kazan and 100–107 (L) in Bologna | |
| 2021–22 | Champions | Defeated 80–67 Frutti Extra Bursaspor in the final of EuroCup in Bologna | |
| FIBA Saporta Cup | |||
| 1974–75 | Quarterfinals | 3rd place in a group with Spartak Leningrad, Jugoplastika and Moderne | |
| 1977–78 | Final | Lost to Gabetti Cantù 82–84 in the final (Milan) | |
| 1978–79 | Semifinals | Eliminated by EBBC, 85–73 (W) in Bologna and 92–105 (L) in Den Bosch after two overtimes | |
| 1981–82 | Semifinals | Eliminated by Real Madrid, 78–79 (L) in Bologna and 94–107 (L) in Madrid | |
| 1989–90 | Champions | Defeated Real Madrid 79–74 in the final of European Cup Winner's Cup in Florence | |
| 1990–91 | Quarterfinals | 3rd place in a group with Dynamo Moscow, Pitch Cholet and Ovarense | |
| 1999–00 | Final | Lost to AEK 76–83 in the final (Lausanne) | |
| Basketball Champions League | |||
| 2018–19 | Champions | Defeated Brose Bamberg 67–50 in the semifinal, defeated Iberostar Tenerife 73–61 in the final of the BCL Final Four in Antwerp | |
| FIBA Korać Cup | |||
| 1975–76 | Semifinals | Eliminated by Jugoplastika, 83–74 (W) in Split and 79–92 (L) in Bologna | |
| EuroChallenge | |||
| 2006–07 | Final Four | 3rd place in Girona, lost to Azovmash 73–74 in the semi-final, defeated MMT Estudiantes 80–62 in the 3rd place game | |
| 2008–09 | Champions | Defeated Proteas EKA AEL 83–69 in the semi-final, defeated Cholet 77–75 in the final of the Eurochallenge Final Four in Bologna | |
| FIBA Intercontinental Cup | |||
| 2020 | Final | Defeated San Lorenzo 75–57 in the semifinal, lost to Iberostar Tenerife 80–72 in the final (Tenerife) | |
| McDonald's Championship | |||
| 1993 | Final | Defeated Limoges CSP 101–85 in the semifinal, lost to Phoenix Suns 90–112 in the final (Munich) | |
| 1995 | Final | Defeated Real Madrid Teka 102–96 in the semifinal, lost to Houston Rockets 112–126 in the final (London) | |
The road to the European cups victories
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-3 1989–90 FIBA European Cup Winner's Cup
| Round | Team | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Template:Flagicon Çukurova Üniversitesi | 108–64 | 71–72 |
| QF | Template:Flagicon Žalgiris | 102–79 | 86–83 |
| Template:Flagicon Sunair Oostende | 93–85 | 78–69 | |
| Template:Flagicon Maccabi Ramat Gan | 86–73 | 95–96 | |
| SF | Template:Flagicon PAOK | 77–57 | 94–100 |
| F | Template:Flagicon Real Madrid | 79–74 | |
Template:Col-3 1997–98 FIBA EuroLeague
| Round | Team | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Template:Flagicon Hapoel Jerusalem | 73–51 | 81–68 |
| Template:Flagicon Pau-Orthez | 72–79 | 67–65 | |
| Template:Flagicon FC Barcelona Banca Catalana | 83–70 | 84–71 | |
| Template:Flagicon Partizan Zepter | 77–72 | 74–49 | |
| Template:Flagicon Ülker | 94–64 | 68–66 | |
| 2nd | Template:Flagicon PSG Racing | 69–52 | 72–62 |
| Template:Flagicon Union Olimpija | 72–62 | 60–76 | |
| Template:Flagicon Alba Berlin | 81–66 | 69–85 | |
| Top 16 | Template:Flagicon Estudiantes | 86–62 | 67–62 |
| QF | Template:Flagicon Teamsystem Bologna | 64–52 | 58–56 |
| SF | Template:Flagicon Partizan Zepter | 83–61 | |
| F | Template:Flagicon AEK | 58–44 | |
Template:Col-3 2000–01 EuroLeague
| Round | Team | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| RS | Template:Flagicon AEK | 81–66 | 77–78 |
| Template:Flagicon Cibona | 106–88 | 78–69 | |
| Template:Flagicon Tau Cerámica | 76–73 | 65–59 | |
| Template:Flagicon Spirou Charleroi | 106–87 | 80–58 | |
| Template:Flagicon Saint Petersburg Lions | 84–78 | 82–78 | |
| Top 16 | Template:Flagicon Adecco Estudiantes | 113–70 | 85–80 |
| QF | Template:Flagicon Union Olimpija | 80–79 | 81–79 |
| SF | Template:Flagicon Paf Wennington Bologna | 103–76 | 92–84 |
| 74–70 | |||
| F | Template:Flagicon Tau Cerámica | 65–78 | 94–73 |
| 80–60 | 79–96 | ||
| 82–74 | |||
Template:Col-end Template:Col-begin Template:Col-3 2008–09 FIBA EuroChallenge
| Round | Team | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS | Template:Flagicon CSK Samara | 75–69 | 72–70 |
| Template:Flagicon Base Oostende | 70–69 | 76–87 | |
| Template:Flagicon Tartu Rock | 95–85 | 73–75 | |
| Top 16 | Template:Flagicon BC Kyiv | 68–64 | 57–69 |
| Template:Flagicon EWE Baskets Oldenburg | 81–82 | 73–64 | |
| Template:Flagicon Galatasaray Cafe Crown | 93–77 | 91–104 | |
| QF | Template:Flagicon Telekom Baskets Bonn | 86–76 | 91–106 |
| SF | Template:Flagicon Proteas EKA AEL | 83–69 | |
| F | Template:Flagicon Cholet Basket | 77–75 | |
Template:Col-3 2018–19 Basketball Champions League
| Round | Team | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS | Template:Flagicon Neptūnas | 83–78 | 88–85 |
| Template:Flagicon Filou Oostende | 89–60 | 77–76 | |
| Template:Flagicon Petrol Olimpija | 87–84 | 61–92 | |
| Template:Flagicon Medi Bayreuth | 74–67 | 83–93 | |
| Template:Flagicon Beşiktaş J.K. | 70–71 | 90–94 | |
| Template:Flagicon SIG Strasbourg | 87–81 | 83–80 | |
| Template:Flagicon Promitheas | 98–91 | 85–95 | |
| R16 | Template:Flagicon Le Mans Sarthe | 81–58 | 74–74 |
| QF | Template:Flagicon Nanterre 92 | 73–58 | 83–75 |
| SF | Template:Flagicon Brose Bamberg | 67–50 | |
| F | Template:Flagicon Iberostar Tenerife | 73–61 | |
Template:Col-3 2021–22 EuroCup
| Round | Team | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| RS | Template:Flagicon Frutti Extra Bursaspor | 98–94 | 83–101 |
| Template:Flagicon Ratiopharm Ulm | 87–76 | 84–68 | |
| Template:Flagicon KK Budućnost | 62–68 | 86–82 | |
| Template:Flagicon Valencia | 96–97 | 83–77 | |
| Template:Flagicon Umana Reyer Venezia | 90–84 | 72–83 | |
| Template:Flagicon Cedevita Olimpija | 74–86 | 101–104 | |
| Template:Flagicon Promitheas | 91–72 | 61–83 | |
| Template:Flagicon CB Gran Canaria | 70–68 | 100–80 | |
| Template:Flagicon JL Bourg | 83–82 | 68–90 | |
| R16 | Template:Flagicon Lietkabelis | 75–67 | |
| QF | Template:Flagicon Ratiopharm Ulm | 75–67 | |
| SF | Template:Flagicon Valencia | 73–83 | |
| F | Template:Flagicon Frutti Extra Bursaspor | 80–67 | |
Players
Current roster
Template:Transcluded section {{#section:2025–26 Virtus Bologna season|roster}}
Depth chart
Template:Transcluded section {{#section:2025–26 Virtus Bologna season|depthchart}}
Notable players
Retired numbers
| Template:White | |||||
| style="Template:Basketball color cell"|No | style="Template:Basketball color cell"|Template:Tooltip | style="Template:Basketball color cell"|Player | style="Template:Basketball color cell"|Position | style="Template:Basketball color cell"|Tenure | style="Template:Basketball color cell"|Year Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Template:Flagicon | Roberto Brunamonti | PG | 1982–1996 | 1997<ref>I NUMERI RITIRATI NELLA STORIA DELLA VIRTUS BOLOGNA.</ref> |
| 5 | Template:Flagicon | Predrag Danilović | SG/SF | 1992–1995 1997–2000 |
2014<ref>I NUMERI RITIRATI NELLA STORIA DELLA VIRTUS BOLOGNA.</ref> |
| 10 | Template:Flagicon | Renato Villalta | PF/C | 1976–1989 | 2005<ref>I NUMERI RITIRATI NELLA STORIA DELLA VIRTUS BOLOGNA.</ref> |
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers
- Krešimir Ćosić, C, 1978–1980, Inducted 1996<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Manu Ginóbili, SG, 2000–2002, Inducted 2022<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
FIBA Hall of Famers
- Krešimir Ćosić, C, 1978–1980, Inducted 2007<ref>Kresimir Cosic, FIBA Hall of Famers</ref>
- Aleksandar Nikolić, Head coach, 1981–1982, Inducted 2007<ref>Aleksandar Nikolic, FIBA Hall of Famers</ref>
- Antoine Rigaudeau, PG, 1997–2003, Inducted 2015<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Bogdan Tanjević, Head coach, 2002, Inducted 2019<ref>Bodgan Tanjevic, FIBA Hall of Famers</ref>
- Jure Zdovc, PG, 1991–1992, Inducted 2021<ref>Jure Zdovc second Slovenian in FIBA Hall of Fame, STA</ref>
- Ettore Messina, Head coach, 1989–1993 and 1997–2002, Inducted 2021<ref>Basket, Ettore Messina nella Hall of Fame della Fiba; "Uno dei più grandi allenatori di tutti i tempi", la Repubblica</ref>
Other notable players
Template:Basketball notable players criteria Template:Div col
- Template:Flagicon Awudu Abass
- Template:Flagicon Alessandro Abbio
- Template:Flagicon Mario Alesini
- Template:Flagicon Pietro Aradori
- Template:Flagicon Filippo Baldi Rossi
- Template:Flagicon Marco Belinelli
- Template:Flagicon Gianni Bertolotti
- Template:Flagicon Gianfranco Bersani
- Template:Flagicon Augusto Binelli
- Template:Flagicon Marco Bonamico
- Template:Flagicon Mario Boni
- Template:Flagicon Davide Bonora
- Template:Flagicon Roberto Brunamonti
- Template:Flagicon Carlo Caglieris
- Template:Flagicon Antonio Calebotta
- Template:Flagicon Achille Canna
- Template:Flagicon Roberto Chiacig
- Template:Flagicon Claudio Coldebella
- Template:Flagicon Galeazzo Dondi
- Template:Flagicon Sergio Ferriani
- Template:Flagicon Alessandro Frosini
- Template:Flagicon Vittorio Gallinari
- Template:Flagicon Pietro Generali
- Template:Flagicon Alessandro Gentile
- Template:Flagicon Angelo Gigli
- Template:Flagicon Daniel Hackett
- Template:Flagicon Gianfranco Lombardi
- Template:Flagicon Walter Magnifico
- Template:Flagicon Nico Mannion
- Template:Flagicon Giancarlo Marinelli
- Template:Flagicon Paolo Moretti
- Template:Flagicon Alessandro Pajola
- Template:Flagicon Giuseppe Poeta
- Template:Flagicon Renzo Ranuzzi
- Template:Flagicon Luigi Rapini
- Template:Flagicon Giampaolo Ricci
- Template:Flagicon Luigi Serafini
- Template:Flagicon Mike Sylvester
- Template:Flagicon Amedeo Tessitori
- Template:Flagicon Vittorio Tracuzzi
- Template:Flagicon Renato Villalta
- Template:Flagicon Luca Vitali
- Template:Flagicon Michele Vitali
- Template:Flagicon Dino Zucchi
- Template:Flagicon Klaudio Ndoja
- Template:Flagicon Manu Ginóbili
- Template:Flagicon Andrés Pelussi
- Template:Flagicon Hugo Sconochini
- Template:Flagicon David Andersen
- Template:Flagicon Elvis Rolle
- Template:Flagicon Guilherme Giovannoni
- Template:Flagicon Carl English
- Template:Flagicon Bill Wennington
- Template:Flagicon Krešimir Ćosić
- Template:Flagicon Arijan Komazec
- Template:Flagicon Ante Žižić
- Template:Flagicon Christian Drejer
- Template:Flagicon Gabriel Lundberg
- Template:Flagicon Petteri Koponen
- Template:Flagicon Isaïa Cordinier
- Template:Flagicon Mouhammadou Jaiteh
- Template:Flagicon Amath M'Baye
- Template:Flagicon Antoine Rigaudeau
- Template:Flagicon Viktor Sanikidze
- Template:Flagicon Tornike Shengelia
- Template:Flagicon Nikos Oikonomou
- Template:Flagicon Kostas Patavoukas
- Template:Flagicon David Blu
- Template:Flagicon Saulius Štombergas
- Template:Flagicon Deividas Gailius
- Template:Flagicon Vlado Ilievski
- Template:Flagicon Mladen Šekularac
- Template:Flagicon Michael Olowokandi
- Template:Flagicon Semi Ojeleye
- Template:Flagicon Ekpe Udoh
- Template:Flagicon Predrag Danilović
- Template:Flagicon Ognjen Dobrić
- Template:Flagicon Marko Jarić
- Template:Flagicon Nikola Jestratijević
- Template:Flagicon Dejan Koturović
- Template:Flagicon Stefan Marković
- Template:Flagicon Žarko Paspalj
- Template:Flagicon Zoran Savić
- Template:Flagicon Branislav Prelević
- Template:Flagicon Miloš Teodosić
- Template:Flagicon Dušan Vukčević
- Template:Flagicon Sani Bečirovič
- Template:Flagicon Marko Milić
- Template:Flagicon Rasho Nesterović
- Template:Flagicon Matjaž Smodiš
- Template:Flagicon Jure Zdovc
- Template:Flagicon Alan Anderson
- Template:Flagicon Charlie Bell
- Template:Flagicon Travis Best
- Template:Flagicon Joe Binion
- Template:Flagicon Anthony Bonner
- Template:Flagicon Earl Boykins
- Template:Flagicon Jan van Breda Kolff
- Template:Flagicon Corey Brewer
- Template:Flagicon Mario Chalmers
- Template:Flagicon Terry Driscoll
- Template:Flagicon Rashard Griffith
- Template:Flagicon Clemon Johnson
- Template:Flagicon Keith Langford
- Template:Flagicon Cliff Levingston
- Template:Flagicon Kyle Macy
- Template:Flagicon Joe Meriweather
- Template:Flagicon Tom McMillen
- Template:Flagicon Jim McMillian
- Template:Flagicon Kevin Punter
- Template:Flagicon Micheal Ray Richardson
- Template:Flagicon John Roche
- Template:Flagicon Charles Smith
- Template:Flagicon Greg Stokes
- Template:Flagicon Kyle Weems
- Template:Flagicon Okaro White
- Template:Flagicon Orlando Woolridge
Players at the NBA draft
| style="Template:Basketball color cell"| Position | style="Template:Basketball color cell"| Player | style="Template:Basketball color cell"| Year | style="Template:Basketball color cell"| Round | style="Template:Basketball color cell"| Pick | style="Template:Basketball color cell"| Drafted by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Template:Flagicon Augusto Binelli# | 1986 | 2nd round | 40th | Atlanta Hawks |
| C | Template:Flagicon Radoslav Nesterović | 1998 | 1st round | 17th | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| PF/C | Template:Flagicon David Andersen | 2002 | 2nd round | 37th | Atlanta Hawks |
| PG/SG | Template:Flagicon Sani Bečirovič# | 2003 | 2nd round | 46th | Denver Nuggets |
Head coaches
- Template:Flagicon Renzo Poluzzi (1948–1951)
- Template:Flagicon Dino Fontana (1950–1951)
- Template:Flagicon Venzo Vannini (1951–1952)
- Template:Flagicon Larry Strong (1952–1953)
- Template:Flagicon Giancarlo Marinelli (1953–1954)
- Template:Flagicon Vittorio Tracuzzi (1954–1960)
- Template:Flagicon Eduardo Kucharski (1960–1963)
- Template:Flagicon Mario Alesini (1963–1966)
- Template:Flagicon Jaroslav Šíp (1966–1968)
- Template:Flagicon Renzo Ranuzzi (1968–1969)
- Template:Flagicon Nello Paratore (1969–1970)
- Template:Flagicon Vittorio Tracuzzi (1970–1971)
- Template:Flagicon Nico Messina (1971–1973)
- Template:Flagicon Dan Peterson (1973–1978)
- Template:Flagicon Terry Driscoll (1978–1980)
- Template:Flagicon Ettore Zuccheri (1980–1981)
- Template:Flagicon Renzo Ranuzzi (1981)
- Template:Flagicon Aleksandar Nikolić (1981–1982)
- Template:Flagicon George Bisacca (1982)
- Template:Flagicon Mauro Di Vincenzo (1982–1983)
- Template:Flagicon Alberto Bucci (1983–1985)
- Template:Flagicon Alessandro Gamba (1985–1987)
- Template:Flagicon Krešimir Ćosić (1987–1988)
- Template:Flagicon Bob Hill (1988–1989)
- Template:Flagicon Ettore Messina (1989–1993)
- Template:Flagicon Alberto Bucci (1993–1997)
- Template:Flagicon Lino Frattin (1997)
- Template:Flagicon Ettore Messina (1997–2002)
- Template:Flagicon Bogdan Tanjević (2002)
- Template:Flagicon Valerio Bianchini (2002–2003)
- Template:Flagicon Giampiero Ticchi (2003)
- Template:Flagicon Alberto Bucci (2003–2004)
- Template:Flagicon Giordano Consolini (2004–2005)
- Template:Flagicon Zare Markovski (2005–2007)
- Template:Flagicon Stefano Pillastrini (2007–2008)
- Template:Flagicon Renato Pasquali (2008)
- Template:Flagicon Matteo Boniciolli (2008–2009)
- Template:Flagicon Lino Lardo (2009–2011)
- Template:Flagicon Alessandro Finelli (2011–2013)
- Template:Flagicon Luca Bechi (2013–2014)
- Template:Flagicon Giorgio Valli (2014–2016)
- Template:Flagicon Alessandro Ramagli (2016–2018)
- Template:Flagicon Stefano Sacripanti (2018–2019)
- Template:Flagicon Aleksandar Đorđević (2019–2021)
- Template:Flagicon Sergio Scariolo (2021–2023)
- Template:Flagicon Luca Banchi (2023–2024)
- Template:Flagicon Duško Ivanović (2024–present)
Sponsorship names
Throughout the years, due to sponsorship, the club has been known as : Template:Div col
- Minganti Bologna (1953–1958)
- Oransoda Bologna (1958–1960)
- Idrolitina Bologna (1960–1961)
- Virtus Bologna (1961–1962)
- Knorr Bologna (1962–1965)
- Candy Bologna (1965–1969)
- Virtus Bologna (1969–1970)
- Norda Bologna (1970–1974)
- Sinudyne Bologna (1974–1983)
- Granarolo Bologna (1983–1986)
- Dietor Bologna (1986–1988)
- Knorr Bologna (1988–1993)
- Buckler Beer Bologna (1993–1996)
- Kinder Bologna (1996–2002)
- Virtus Bologna (2002–2003)
- Carisbo Bologna (2003–2004)
- Caffè Maxim Bologna (2004–2005)
- VidiVici Bologna (2005–2007)
- La Fortezza Bologna (2007–2009)
- Canadian Solar Bologna (2009–2012)
- SAIE3 Bologna (2012–2013)
- Oknoplast Bologna (2013)
- Granarolo Bologna (2013–2015)
- Obiettivo Lavoro Bologna (2015–2016)
- Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2016–2025)
- Virtus Olidata Bologna (2025–present)Template:Efn
Kit manufacturer
- 1977–1983: Lotto
- 1983–1988: Les Copains
- 1988–1996: Reebok
- 1996–1999: Fila
- 1999–2009: Champion
- 2009–2024: Macron<ref>Virtus Segafredo-Ambalt Recanati, Virtus.it, Retrieved 23 March 2017.</ref>
- 2024–present: Adidas
Notes
References
External links
- Template:Official website Template:In lang
- Historical record and names at Lega Basket Serie A Retrieved 27 June 2015 Template:In lang
Template:Virtus Bologna current roster Template:Virtus Bologna by season Template:Navboxes Template:Navboxes Template:Euroleague winners Template:Lega Basket Serie A