ITA/TUR - Pianigiani looks to pull the right strings
ISTANBUL (Euroleague/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - When it comes to basketball in Italy, Simone Pianigiani takes a backseat to no one. He has already secured his place in the country's history as one of the all-time great coaches. His success with Montepaschi Siena, which included a run of six consecutive Lega A titles from 2007 to 2012, is a record ...
ISTANBUL (Euroleague/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - When it comes to basketball in Italy, Simone Pianigiani takes a backseat to no one.
He has already secured his place in the country's history as one of the all-time great coaches.
His success with Montepaschi Siena, which included a run of six consecutive Lega A titles from 2007 to 2012, is a record that may never be broken.
During that time, he also led Mens Sana to Coppa Italy glory four times (2009-12), and five SuperCoppa wins (from 2008-12).
Pianigiani's teams didn't scale the heights in the Euroleague, but he did guide the Italians to Final Four appearances in 2008 and 2011.
As the national team coach of Italy, he has led the side at EuroBasket 2011 and this summer, Pianigiani steered a squad without NBA players Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli to a perfect 8-0 mark in the Qualification Round for next year's EuroBasket in Slovenia.
The Azzurri, under Pianigiani, are looking like serious contenders for a spot in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The 43-year-old tactician is now taking on a different sort of challenge.
He has left the comforts of Tuscany for 'The City on Seven Hills', Istanbul, to coach Fenerbahce.
In their first two Euroleague games under him, the Turkish giants have beaten BC Khimki Moscow Region and Union Olimpija Ljubljana.
In Turkey, Fener survived a close call over the weekend against TED Ankara to stay unbeaten at 2-0.
While some viewed the result as a sign that Fener may not be that strong since TED Ankara are not among the leading sides in the country, Pianigiani, ever the psychologist, had a different viewpoint.
His team had only just two days earlier won at Olimpija Ljubljana.
"It was difficult to play two games in 48 hours," he said.
"(But) They (his players) were mentally ready and knew what they had to do and fought until the end of the game."
Turkey has become a leading basketball nation.
The evidence is that the 2010 FIBA World Championship, the 2012 Euroleague Final Four and the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women were staged in the country, and the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women will be, too.
The men's team finished runners-up at the 2010 World Championship, and the women captured a silver medal at last year's EuroBasket in Poland.
The challenge for Pianigiani is to make Fener a contender in the Euroleague and the early evidence suggests he will do just that.
FIBA