ITA – Tough times for Italy

BELGRADE (EuroBasket Qualifying) – Remember EuroBasket 2003 in Sweden, when Italy lost their first two games and looked dead in the water before going on a winning streak and capturing a bronze medal?

That success qualified the team for the Athens Olympics, and the Azzurri travelled to Greece 12 months later and won a silver medal.

Five years on from the terrific run that began in Sweden, the Italians find themselves in a big hole again after winning just once in their opening four EuroBasket 2009 qualifying games.

Only this time, with the Italians set to take on Serbia in Belgrade on Saturday, the stakes are even higher.

If Italy fail to start winning games, they’ll be in danger of falling into EuroBasket Division B.

"Nothing has been written," insisted Italy coach Carlo Recalcati.

For a country that has prodigious talents like Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors, Danilo Gallinari of the New York Knicks and Marco Belinelli of the Golden State Warriors, this is a remarkable state of affairs for Italy.

Bargnani and Belinelli were leading Italians at last year’s EuroBasket in Spain but weren’t allowed by their NBA clubs to represent the Azzurri this summer.

Gallinari, who was injured last year and didn’t play, was set to join Italy late in their preparations but he got hurt while competing for New York’s summer league team and is missing.

"From the first day of training, I decided not to talk about the players that are not here,” said Recalcati, the man who coached the successful 2003 and ’04 teams.

“The coach has to focus on the players he has in his team. I say we must respect, thank and support the players that at this time are part of the national team. I know how my players are suffering because of the lack of results.”

Italy have not been getting blown out.

Serbia did beat them 78-64 in Italy, but Hungary only edged the Italians 68-64. After the Italians defeated a very good Finnish team 88-80, they suffered an 81-80 heart-breaking result in Bulgaria.

“We will have to make the analysis at the end and right now live the present knowing that we can still qualify directly or via the additional qualifying round next year, trying to avoid dropping to Division B. The game on the 17th September is an important if not a decisive game."

That game on September 17 is at home against Bulgaria.

FIBA