February 09, 2010
Countdown
VIRTUS ROMA
President Claudio Toti
Address Piazza Apollodoro, 10 00196 Roma - Italy
Tel. +39 06 3600 2439
Fax +39 06 3222 689
Arena PALALOTTOMATICA
2009-2010 Games
Roster
No.PlayerCountryPos.HeightBorn
- GIACHETTI, JACOPO Italy - 1.90 1983
- BONESSIO, DANIELE Italy - 0.00 1988
- CHIMINELLO, GIACOMO Italy - 0.00 1986
- BINI, MARCO Italy - 0.00 1988
- EKEZIE, OBINNA Nigeria - 2.08 1975
- HAWKINS, DAVID USA - 1.93 1982
- HELLIWELL, WADE United Kingdom - 2.11 1978
- ILIEVSKI, VLADO FYROM - 1.88 1980
- BODIROGA, DEJAN Serbia - 2.05 1973
- SCONOCHINI, HUGO Italy - 1.94 1971
- PESIC, MARKO Germany - 1.96 1976
- RIGHETTI, ALEX Italy - 2.00 1977
- TONOLLI, ALESSANDRO Italy - 2.02 1974
- TUSEK, MARKO Slovenia - 2.04 1975
 Head Coach    
  PESIC, SVETISLAV Serbia    
 Assistant Coach    
  KOSTIC, OLIVER Serbia    
  SAIBENE, GUIDO Italy    
The Club
 More than a quarter-century after its only Euroleague title, Lottomatica Roma is again knocking on the door of greatness. Three consecutive trips to the Euroleague Top 16 and a run of nearly two months tied or alone atop its regular season group standings last year have made everyone take notice that the team from the Eternal City is challenging for glory one again. Virtus Roma was founded in 1960, and has been one of the strongest names in the Italian League and Europe ever since. With national competition of the highest level, the club never amassed armfuls of titles, but it was Italian League champ in 1983 and Euroleague king in 1984, defeating Barcelona in the finals. Larry Wright helped the team to rally from a 16-point deficit in the second half of the 1984 title game, and lifted the trophy with the help of Clarence Kea, Renzo Tombolato and Fulvio Polesello. Virtus Roma also added a Korac Cup title in 1992, under the name of Il Messaggero Roma, downing Scavolini Pesaro in the two-way final. Dino Radja led Roma to that triumph with the help of Rick Mahorn, Roberto Premier and Andrea Niccolai. The early 1990s was a high time for Roma, which brought in world-renowned players like Mahorn, Radja, Danny Ferry and Brian Shaw. The team stayed competitive throughout the decade despite not winning another title. The 2002-03 season was a decisive one for Roma. With a roster led by star guard Carlton Myers, the team soared to one of its best seasons ever in the domestic league, 25-9, and a second-place finish in the regular season. The team then rolled into the Italian playoff semifinals, which also qualified Roma for the 2003-04 Euroleague. Even though it failed to advance to the Top 16 in its return to the continent's top competition, the Italian capital was a hot spot again for basketball. That was especially true once Lottomatica landed Dejan Bodiroga and head coach Svetislav Pesic, both recent Euroleague champs, in the summer of 2005. Lottomatica instantly improved its results, posting the best regular season record in the ULEB Cup and making it to the quarterfinals, before going out to former champion Hapoel Jerusalem. Lottomatica also made it to the Italian League semifinals and only lost the Italian Cup final in overtime. The 2007-08 season proved that Roma was back among the elite as it made noise at every turn. A spot in the Euroleague Top 16, where it nearly downed eventual champ CSKA on the road before losing at the buzzer, fired the team up for a run in the Italian League where it finished in second place and reached the finals. Last season Roma was again a forced to be reckoned with in the Euroleague before bowing out in the Top 16 and it again finished the Italian League regular season as runner up. This time, however, a hiccup came as the club went out in the playoff quarterfinals. Nevertheless that will only fuel the fire this season as an ambitious club is back with lofty goals for success at every turn.
Trophy Case
Euroleague
1984
International Cup
1984
Korac Cup
1986, 1992
Italian League
1982-83
Italian Supercup
2000
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