Bruno Fitipaldo: “If I am the leader of this team, I will do it my way”

MONTEVIDEO (FIBA Basketball World Cup Americas Qualifiers 2019) - A few years ago, Bruno Fitipaldo transformed into the leader of the Uruguayan National Team. Since the arrival of Marcelo Signorelli, he has been the captain of the National Team that is fighting to arrive at the World Cup in China in 2019. Like all Uruguayans, he started playing football, but the influence of having a father that played basketball helped him change his course in time: “I started in football like almost all kids until I was 12-years-old. Still, those last two years I still went to the Club Náutico where they played all the sports, so I did a little bit of everything. When I was 10-years old I started playing basketball, and since then I never had any doubt about what I wanted to do. From there I went to Malvín and I chose it as my sport.” Even though, he clarifies, “I was a midfielder in soccer and I stood out in my category. At first, I was better at soccer than at basketball, then I started getting better, and then came the Junior National Team tryouts.” Obviously his family’s influence is very important. His father played basketball and transmitted his passion to a young Bruno: “We had a rim at the house and we played a lot; but still my thing was to think about football until I was 12-years-old. It’s not that I was born with my brothers to play basketball, but it was something that happened and, when I got to Malvín with it, it was key to not continue playing football.”

The head of Signorelli’s team has always been a player that identified with Uruguay: “When I was 13-years old I started to go to the open groups of the National Team without any competition. We trained once a week and from then on I always had the luck of playing for Uruguay.”

“My break was when Pablo López arrived at the lower leagues of Malvín. I was 14-years old and I made a change since I saw that what I had was not enough to achieve what I wanted. I started training with a physical trainer (Andrés Barrios) and to work specifically with velocity. I changed my nutrition, and I think that training happened on a perfect moment of my development.”

His first appearance in front of the Uruguayan public was when he played a tournament with second-division club 25 de Agosto; it was there that his name started to get around even though he was only 18-years old: “That was my final development in the lower leagues. It served to test me and to show me that I was ready to play soon.”

After a couple of titles with Malvín, he had the opportunity to try his luck on the outside. First in Obras in Argentina, then Orlandina in Italy, and then went to Galatasaray in Turkey. After that experience, he returned to Italy where he defends for Avellino. The growth was fast and during this development, he receives the news that he will be the Captain of the Uruguayan National Team. The arrival of Marcelo Signorelli as coach gave the chance to the 25-year-old point guard to assume such a huge responsibility: “At the moment it took me by surprise, but it made me really happy. Historically the captains in Uruguay are players with more experience, but it is a reality that the average age in Uruguay is really low. We are on a phase of change and that could have happened.”

Fitipaldo’s personality has suffered a transformation, but just as he points it out, it is more to the outside than inside the group: “What I try to do is to not lose my essence or how I am. I don’t want to seem something that I’m not. If I am the leader of this team, I will do it my way, and I will keep things as they are since I am convinced of what I have to do. It is true that I seem quiet on the outside, but inside the group I always talk, and I have a good relationship with everyone.” Between laughs he said: “As a captain I have to do some obligatory things that I don’t like, but I got used to it, and it is part of this.”

On the topic of the chances of Uruguay to qualify for the World Cup in China 2019 he said: “It is hard, but I see more chances now than before. In the tournaments that were long it was more complicated. Still, we have to be consistent in all the windows, since we cannot fail in any of them, it could cost us our qualification. Our discharges are sensible since we don’t have the ample roster with players with international experience.”

About the National Team he said: “It’s my honor to defend it. In Uruguay, we see it clearly in soccer and the same happens to us in basketball, besides the fact that we don’t compete at that level. When we play is only for the honor of representing our country. Here, there is not money or any other type of interest. We hope that one day we are to the people a source of pride, just as in football.”

Regarding being inside the court: “Nicolás Mazzarino, I only played with him one year, but he left his mark.”

Regarding about the outside of the court: “I admire Manu Ginóbli.”

TEAMS OF HIS CAREER:

Náutico: “Those were my beginnings in sports. I made my first friends there.”

Malvín: “It’s my club and I hope to return one day. It’s like my home. I can play on different teams and countries, but my club will always be Malvín.”

25 de Agosto: “This club gave the chance to make my mark on the first division.”

Obras (Argentina): “An important step. It was my first experience outside and I learned a lot of things. They gave me strenght as a player. It was a far more important step than what it seemed.”

Orlandina (Italy): “It was my way to show myself in Europe. They trusted me and those were 5 or 6 perfect months.”

Galatasaray (Turkey): “Until today the best experience as a professional. I was on a very high level and I learned a lot, since one does not only learn when things are going good.”

Avellino (Italy): “It was to return to a team with aspirations in Italy. It left a bitter taste since we had a great regular phase but did not sustain it in the playoffs.”

by Juan Pablo Tamborini / Photo: Andres Stapff & Marcello Zambrana

FIBA