VIRTUS IMOLA, THE MEMORY OF GIANNI ZAPPI – BOLOGNABASKET

Litters of ink have been consumed in current days to recollect Gianni Zappi and won’t be sufficient to completely applaud a nationally acknowledged grasp of basketball who undoubtedly left us far too quickly.

A coach who has left an indelible mark on the historical past of Imola’s first two basketball golf equipment, Virtus and Andrea Costa, at varied occasions and in varied phases. However Zappi’s profession has additionally identified many different golf equipment and experiences all through Italy and throughout the Federation.

The side he desires to deepen is the authenticity of the human relationship established with the individuals who have shared with him so many adventures within the yellow and black jersey. The coaches, managers, athletes and followers who walked collectively within the “Gianni Zappi Virtussino” a number of occasions.

The primary (and it could not be in any other case) to gather a memento of Gianni Zappi is the president of Virtus Imola Stefano Loretti: “The primary basketball sport I keep in mind watching stay at PalaRuggi was Virtus Imola-Cantine Riunite Reggio Emilia, on whose bench Gianni Zappi sat. I do not keep in mind the 12 months or the precise event, however I’ve a really clear reminiscence of this sport.

We may speak about Zappi for hours, given his background, experiences and the a number of roles he has performed for Italy. Alternatively, his profession speaks for itself and may converse volumes. He actually gave rather a lot to Imola basketball, he distinguished himself as a coach, but additionally as a coach, all the time at a excessive degree.

An individual who has lived 60 years of his life on the earth of basketball, feeding its improvement in Imola and past, dies. If I take into consideration basketball, for me, Gianni Zappi is basketball!

The power, dedication and dedication with which he confronted all of the challenges he accepted to stay are an instance on this sports activities world that always doesn’t comply with sure values.

As an organization and personally I’m near Mauro, his spouse Alide and all of the relations right now of ache. I am positive that our basketball gamers, subsequent Sunday, may have additional motivation to win at PalaRuggi, that observe so liked by Gianni.”

It’s not an actual reminiscence, however an commentary that of Walter the Nicelongtime Giallonero fan: “An individual who in Imola manages to be popular with everybody from Virtus to Andrea Costa, on a number of events, should have a supernatural expertise.”

She is especially heartbroken Graziana Lanzoni, supporter and former coach of Virtus: “I’m very sorry for this information. I’ve an exquisite reminiscence of Gianni when he was coaching at Virtus Imola: we had a number of enjoyable in these days. I’ve all the time had nice respect for him as a human being, whereas on the technical facet, nicely, his profession speaks for itself. It leaves us with an enormous void.”

The final supervisor of Virtus Imola Gabriel Torreggiani remembers with emotion the phrases of Zappi: “I’ve many good recollections of Giannetto, recollections linked to after I was younger in Imola to observe him prepare Virtus Valleverde de la Rega or Andrea Costa, however the reminiscence I wish to inform is newer and is linked to 2017 once we invited him to Ozzano with Mauro to attend the sport. He accepted and instantly my concept and that of the Firm was to provide him official recognition and have fun the coach and the one that I discovered myself in entrance of the Ozzanese neighborhood who, because of him, had achieved an important successes in historical past with the Tour jersey. That night Gianni informed me “keep in mind that the successes I’ve achieved are as a result of good work of everybody , a very good group, good gamers, an important crowd and a very good employees, however all this may solely be achieved if there are even good individuals. which don’t have any different goal than the eagerness for basketball”. In just a few phrases, he was capable of clarify to me like nobody else what’s the proper technique to run an organization. Thanks Gianni, I’ll keep in mind it”.

The previous Serie A basketball coach and participant additionally remembers him Giorgio Devetag: “Gianni Zappi was a trainer, an important individual. After I was nonetheless taking part in and Giannetto was teaching in Forlì, I went to attempt it, however in the long run he selected Zonta da Cantù, I am very sorry, even now I believe he would have been the fitting coach for me, in reality he it was for a lot of.”

He speaks once more as a fan of the Giallonero Giovanni Brini, historic presence of the Virtus curve: “Gianni Zappi is a grasp of basketball, competent and ready by no means above. A milestone in Imola basketball”.

The opposite historic fan remains to be in disbelief Fabrizio Zaccherini: “His loss of life took me abruptly and it hurts me rather a lot. This can be a unhealthy story, very unhealthy. Apart from what he did on the court docket and what he was identified for, I labored for him and his household for a very long time and he is all the time been a very good individual – we all the time talked (clearly) about basketball, what he was going to 2 Imola groups and it was good to listen to his standpoint. For me he has all the time been ‘the coach’ and my common joke was that I preferred him higher after I was at Virtus than after I was at Andrea Costa and we laughed about that collectively.”

Franco Rocchithe present and historic speaker of Virtus Imola, former president of Spes and ex-coach, has “previous” recollections of Zappi: “I do know Zappi since 1965, 66 and 67 or the coed championships (then highly regarded): he performed in the highschool and I within the method.For some time we have been additionally teammates within the 1967/68 championship, as I had simply received the championship with the Juvenilia that joined the newly based A. Costa – it solely labored for just a few months as a result of we have been too younger and subsequently all the pieces went again to the way in which it was earlier than. Then through the years we had a number of contacts within the fields of Imola, as a result of within the years between 1975 and 1978 when Virtus educated, I performed at Griffin, coaching additionally the ladies’s Lugo. However above all, we met usually within the 90s when he was supervisor of A. Costa and I used to be the president of Spes”.

It’s a humorous and, from a sure standpoint, historic reminiscence that he narrates Filippo Bartolini, former basketball participant and all the time a Virtussi fan: “I’ve an indelible reminiscence of Gianni Zappi. It was over the past bracket on the bench of the Virtus Imola in B d’Eccellenza within the late 90s. Whenever you received at dwelling it had develop into a traditional for the curve to sing the refrain “Give us a salute, Giannetto, give us a salute”. However he, by nature, was not very inclined to make non-public celebrations and, particularly on the finish of the sport, he was slightly reluctant, as an instance. And we followers settled for a fast wave of greeting. And I keep in mind one Saturday morning, throughout one of many many events once we have been on the middle, of getting sung that refrain to him and he replied embarrassed and smiling “Bart you make me faux that due to these issues there, the workforce . takes me on tour.” Then I replied, “You recognize what we will do subsequent time? With the followers we are going to sing “Underneath the curve, Giannetto, beneath the curve”. And he laughing: “I’ll by no means go beneath the curve”. It’s clear that as quickly as there was a possibility, within the first victory, that coronary heart left and greeted us however clearly didn’t wish to come, subsequently, it was “dragged” by its gamers. It was lovely. And after I noticed him once more he mentioned “What did you make me do, I used to be ashamed and purple”, however I identified that everybody liked him and he must be happy. I keep in mind Gianni’s many laughs, past basketball. I’ve identified him since I used to be a toddler and he has all the time been my “advisor”: after I was taking part in and obtained some presents from outdoors Imola, corresponding to Riva del Garda, Forlì or Cesena, he was all the time my first contact, the one who known as me instantly to make a comparability, as a result of it all the time gave me an sincere view of the totally different conditions.”

Then the considered many followers who, regardless of the various years away from the yellow and black colours, have all the time revered Zappi. Among the many historic ones, Corrado Davalle: “I keep in mind him on the bench at Virtus Imola: he was an important coach” e Michele Cornacchione: “I can solely say that he was an important gentleman. I keep in mind that he usually stopped on the middle to talk on Saturdays and that regardless of being the founder, coach and supervisor of the ‘others’, you could not assist however love him for the humility with which he approached others.”

A particular affection that goes far past basketball ties Zappi Fulvio Piattesi, basketball participant of the previous yellow and black guard and now a coach concerned within the youth Virtus: “Gianni was linked by a deep friendship with my dad and mom. Amongst different issues, it was the coach who made me play the primary couple of minutes within the first workforce. That was Gianni for me.”

There are various of his former gamers who met the information with emotion and ache. Amongst these, the Virtus driver within the reboot years, Andrea Porcellini: “After I arrived at Virtus I used to be a toddler and Gianni was already a younger man of fifty well-known on the earth of basketball, so we didn’t create a detailed bond past the sector. He already had an essential presence in Imola and in nationwide basketball, whereas I used to be beginning my profession. I keep in mind listening to many occasions that he was one of many first registered in Italy, with card quantity 139, if I am not mistaken. I’ve not had a direct relationship with him on a private degree in all these years, however each event of assembly has all the time been a small social gathering, remembering collectively the episodes of that classic lived collectively. I’ve all the time given him the utmost respect as a coach and, above all, as an individual. The final time I met him I noticed him dressed as a grandfather and he was tender in that model: I noticed him modified, as a result of he had a particular bond with these kids, as an added father. I actually suppose that at this second when everyone seems to be mourning (rightly) the disappearance of an important basketball participant, the actual catastrophe is for his spouse, for Mauro and for the grandchildren for whom Gianni was undoubtedly a reference.”

For Raffaele Pasquato: “Juanito was a really ready coach. however above all very passionate”.

She cries about it too Dario Sigón, robust striker at Virtus within the late 90s: “He was an enormous fan of Gianni. We’re united by three seasons, two in Imola and one in Ozzano. Three vintages above preliminary expectations with enjoyable and efficient groups. It’s proof that Gianni was good at each constructing groups and training them. If I take into consideration the pleased intervals of my basketball life, indubitably Gianni is one in all them.”

Because the final message, that of the president of Virtus Imola from 1993 to 2005 Littorio Galassi: “Gianni Zappi: a person, a coach, a supervisor of Imola. Lately, along with Virtus Pallacanestro Imola, he taught me to like basketball, to be president, to know the gamers and to like the followers. However the perfect, the best, all the time leaves too quickly. Thanks Gianni, we are going to miss you.”

Thanks for all the pieces, Gianni!