«Our magical and lucid madness». So Cantù was saved

“It was a moment of lucid madness.” Yeah, there probably aren’t many other ways to define what happened on February 18, 2019 – four years ago tomorrow – February 18, 2019. It’s a date that is now historic, the beginning of a new story. It is the day in which Cantù went from the abyss of being canceled from the basketball radar to a rebirth.

That day, in the office of the notary Gianfranco Manfredi of Cantù, the acquisition of Pallacanestro Cantù by Tic – Tutti Insieme Cantù, the popular shareholder base of the Cantù club, was signed. An act of courage, which led to the rescue of a company with over eighty years of history. Of course, the sporting renaissance has yet to be completed. But the toy was saved after the departure of patron Dmitry Gerasimenko just a couple of months earlier.

Why lucid madness? Angelo Passeri, president of Tic and vice president of Pallacanestro Cantù explains it: «It was madness, because the unknowns were enormous and we knew perfectly well that extraordinary efforts would be needed to get out of them. But she was clear-headed, because the Cantù entrepreneurs intervened to the rescue and I am speaking of Davide Marson, Sergio Paparelli, Antonio Biella and Antonio Munafò, as well as the professionals who followed us in this complex operation».

Cantù’s story, which now seemed one step away from a dramatic interruption, continued: «In hindsight, we can say that that signing brought about enormous changes. We have paved the way for a new model, Cantù is the only professional club that has popular shareholders in the corporate composition. Not only that, a new management model has also crept in. Today Cantù is a company with its own income statement, which must provide for its own maintenance, without having to depend on the moons or on the possibilities of a single owner. That day also paved the way for another revolution, namely the construction of a proprietary arena: a window of survival has become a horizon».

If on the one hand Cantù exists and still exists, the sporting satisfactions for the managers and fans are yet to come. Somehow, it was known that the financial survival of the club would have heavy repercussions on the sporting side: «We did two and a half seasons in Serie A, knowing we were playing with fire: in the face of enormous expenses, there was a tight budget. And when this is the case, it is also taken into account that one can burn oneself. And we got burned with the relegation. But it has never been experienced as a defeat, but as a necessary evil. We don’t consider the A2 a “hell”, but the goal is to honor it in the best way possible to go back upstairs».

Also because the people and the business world have not fled: «Partners and sponsors are still with us, as are the people. Our feeling is that the territory has been close to us. It was one of the objectives: we liked a company and a team in which everyone can contribute to its functioning: the effort of individuals is always a useful drop, with the idea that ours is a shared passion».

In all of this, Tic with his almost 300 members continues to be a precious point of reference, increasingly involved in the club’s affairs. Now it has a space in Cantù and on Friday 24th there will be a dinner, right in the office, to celebrate the anniversary of the “rescue”. Another initiative that is arousing enthusiasm is the “Tic Club Experience”: a member drawn by lot can have an immersive experience on the day of the home game, having direct contact with the players, with some obvious limitations.