Andrea Pecile, a thoroughbred from Trieste and today an esteemed assistant coach in Granada in the Acb championship, proudly observes the European rebirth of his Pallacanestro Trieste.
From the privileged observatory of the Spanish League, the former red and white point guard analyzes the coherence of the project that began with the arrival of Paul Matiasic and the upcoming Basketball Champions League matches against the battleships Tenerife and Gran Canaria. A journey through extreme physicality, long rosters and the constant growth of a group that aims straight for the key moments of the season.
Pecile, as a Trieste native who experiences high-level basketball abroad, what effect does it have on you to see Pallacanestro Trieste returning to the European parquet after so many years?
«For me and my family it’s fantastic, we are very happy for the qualification. I won’t hide from you that we immediately checked the calendar to see if, by combining dates and flights, we would be able to come and watch a match in Gran Canaria or Tenerife. Unfortunately in Granada the airport doesn’t have great connections and we can’t organize the trip.”
From your experience in Granada, how do you perceive Trieste’s American project seen from the outside? How do you rate the team’s season so far?
«It seems to me to be the natural continuation of the path started by Jamion Christian. Coach Gonzalez, starting from mid-August, undertook work that requires time, especially to facilitate the insertion and adaptation of the new additions. Personally, I find great consistency: we are in line with the expectations at the beginning of the season. In January the team is still in the running on all fronts, a goal that anyone would have signed up for in the summer. Although we could have done better on some occasions, the season will only come to life in the key moments: the quarter-final of the Italian Cup against Milan, the Top 16 and the playoffs.”
Speaking of the Bcl group, focus on the Spanish opponents. What can you tell us about Tenerife and Gran Canaria?
«We are talking about two great teams, used to reaching the playoffs of the Acb championship and protagonists in the final stages of the European cups and the Copa del Rey. Both boast consolidated projects and stable technical guides: Vidorreta in Tenerife and Lakovic in Gran Canaria. In the championship, the latter is struggling more than expected compared to its usual standards. At the moment, I see Tenerife as being slightly in better shape, thanks also to the experience of leaders like Marcelinho Huertas and Shermadini.”
Tenerife and Gran Canaria are not easy trips, not only for the technical value but also for the journey and the atmosphere in the islands. What should Trieste expect?
«They are certainly long trips, sometimes you don’t think about it, but you are in the middle of the ocean. Beyond the one-hour time difference, which doesn’t have much impact, it is the duration of the journey that weighs on the management of tiredness. I have wonderful memories: I have always played well on the islands, perhaps due to the atmosphere of home or the proximity of the sea, which is somewhat lacking here in Granada. I often played great matches there and I hope it will be the same for Gonzalez’s boys too.”
He is assistant coach at Granada, in what many consider the best league in Europe. What is the main difference you find today between preparing for a match in Spain compared to Italy?
«In Spain the physicality is impressive and the rosters are definitely deeper. This happens because ten out of eighteen teams participate in European competitions: to get to the bottom of the Euroleague, Eurocup, Champions League or Europe Cup, having long rotations is a necessity. From a technical point of view, I don’t notice huge differences compared to other contexts, but in the Spanish championship the ability to use physical strength is a step forward.” —
