Pallacanestro Varese, also called by its current sponsor's name, the Openjobmetis Varese, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Varese, Lombardy. Founded in 1945, the team plays in the Italian first division LBA.
For past club sponsorship names, see sponsorship names.
History
Basketball was introduced in Varese in 1945, with the creation of the historical club, Pallacanestro Varese. The first sponsors were introduced 8 years later in 1954, including Storm and Ignis, followed by Emerson, Turisanda, Cagiva, Star, Ciaocrem, Divarese, Ranger, Metis, Whirlpool, and the most recent, Cimberio. Varese is also famous due to the lack of its having a main sponsor in the mid-1990s (something unusual in the Italian basketball league), and the choice of its franchise name, the Varese Roosters.
Since their creation, Pallancanestro Varese has won 10 Italian first-tier level LBA titles, in the years 1961, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, and their last Italian League title, won 21 years after the previous title, in 1999. With 10 titles, Pallacanestro Varese is the third most winning team ever in the Italian League, after Olimpia Milano and Virtus Bologna.
As it is shown by its roll of honors, Varese was extremely competitive in the 1970s, when the club played in the European-wide first-tier level FIBA European Champions Cup (now called EuroLeague), and played in ten finals in a row, winning 5 of them, in the years 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1976. Between 1956 and 1975, the club was named Ignis Varese. What was the club's golden age had begun some years before, as Varese conquered the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in 1966, and repeated the same title 4 and 7 years later, in the middle of the club's greatest decade in 1970 and 1973. Varese accomplished the great feat of winning the Triple Crown, winning all the trophies available in 1973, with the legendary Professor Aca Nikolić as the team's head coach. Varese also won two championships of the European-wide first-tier level FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup, in 1967 and 1980, and four Italian Cups, in 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1973.
Varese's great age ended in the early nineties, when the team dropped down to the Italian second division. Soon, the club took its revenge, coming up once again to the Italian top-tier level league, and after 5 years time became the real team to watch in the Italian League's playoffs, as it succeeded in winning its historical 10th Italian League title in 1999, with Carlo Recalcati (who later coached the Italian national team), leading the way as the club's head coach. Varese has never repeated that triumph so far, but that success is still remembered to this day. Varese has been trying to return to the top of the Italian League and European-wide competitions in the years since.
Players Current roster
Season by season SeasonTierLeagueItalian Cup European competitions 2004–05 1 Serie A 14th 2005–06 1 Serie A 10th 2006–07 1 Serie A 7th 2007–08 1 Serie A 18th 2008–09 2 Serie A2 1st 2009–10 1 Serie A 11th 2010–11 1 Serie A 8th 2011–12 1 Serie A 8th 2012–13 1 Serie A 3rd 2013–14 1Serie A 10th 1 Euroleague 2 Eurocup 2014–15 1 Serie A 11th 2015–16 1 LBA 9th 3 FIBA Europe Cup 2016–17 1 LBA 12th 3 Champions League 2017–18 1 LBA 6th 2018–19 1 LBA 9th 2019–20 1 LBA 10th 2020–21 1 LBA 14th 2021–22 1 LBA 12th 2022–23 1 LBA 13th Quarterfinalist 2023–24 1 LBA 14th 3 Champions League 4 FIBA Europe Cup 2024–25 1 LBA 12th
Honours Total titles: 25
Domestic competitions Italian League Winners (10): 1960–61, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1998–99 Runners-up (10): 1948–49, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1989–90 Italian Cup Winners (4): 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73 Runners-up (5): 1971–72, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1998–99, 2012–13 Italian Supercup Winners (1): 1999 Runners-up (1): 2013
European competitions EuroLeague Winners (5): 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76 Runners-up (5): 1970–71, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79 Semifinalists (1): 1964–65 FIBA Saporta Cup (defunct) Winners (2): 1966–67, 1979–80 Semifinalists (2): 1967–68, 1980–81 FIBA Korać Cup (defunct) Runners-up (1): 1984–85 Semifinalists (1): 1985–86 FIBA Europe Cup Runners-up (1): 2015–16
Worldwide competitions FIBA Intercontinental Cup Winners (3): 1966, 1970, 1973 Runners-up (4): 1967, 1974, 1976, 1977 3rd place (1): 1979 4th place (1): 1978 McDonald's Championship 4th place (1): 1999
Individual club awards Triple Crown Winners (2): 1969–70, 1972–73
International record
Season Achievement Notes EuroLeague 1964–65 Semi-finals eliminated by CSKA Moscow, 57–58 (L) in Varese and 67–69 (L) in Moscow 1969–70 Champions defeated CSKA Moscow, 79–74 in the final of European Champions Cup in Sarajevo 1970–71 Final lost to CSKA Moscow, 53–67 in the final (Antwerp) 1971–72 Champions defeated Jugoplastika, 70–69 in the final of European Champions Cup in Tel Aviv 1972–73 Champions defeated CSKA Moscow, 71–66 in the final of European Champions Cup in Liège 1973–74 Final lost to Real Madrid, 82–84 in the final (Nantes) 1974–75 Champions defeated Real Madrid, 79–66 in the final of European Champions Cup in Antwerp 1975–76 Champions defeated Real Madrid, 81–74 in the final of European Champions Cup in Geneva 1976–77 Final lost to Maccabi Tel Aviv, 77–78 in the final (Belgrade) 1977–78 Final lost to Real Madrid, 67–75 in the final (Munich) 1978–79 Final lost to Bosna, 93–96 in the final (Grenoble) FIBA Saporta Cup 1966–67 Champions defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv, 77–67 (W) in Varese and 67–68 (L) in Tel Aviv in the double final of European Cup Winners' Cup 1967–68 Semi-finals eliminated by AEK, 78–60 (W) in Varese and 52–72 (L) in Athens 1979–80 Champions defeated Gabetti Cantù, 90–88 in the final of European Cup Winners' Cup in Milan 1980–81 Semi-finals eliminated by Squibb Cantù, 84–94 (L) in Varese and 65–78 (L) in Cantù FIBA Korać Cup 1984–85 Final lost to Simac Milano, 78–91 in the final (Brussels) 1985–86 Semi-finals eliminated by Mobilgirgi Caserta, 84–71 (W) in Varese and 75–91 (L) in Caserta 1995–96 Quarter-finals eliminated by Stefanel Milano, 72–81 (L) in Varese and 89–90 (L) in Milan EuroCup 2002–03 Quarter-finals eliminated by Adecco Estudiantes, 59–77 (L) in Madrid and 88–101 (L) in Varese 2003–04 Quarter-finals eliminated by Real Madrid, 67–68 (L) in Madrid and 57–62 (L) in Varese FIBA Europe Cup 2015–16 Final lost to Fraport Skyliners, 62–66 in the final (Chalon-sur-Saône) Intercontinental Cup 1966 Champions defeated Corinthians 66-59 in the final of Intercontinental Cup in Madrid 1967 Final lost to Akron Goodyear Wingfoots, 72–78 in the final (Rome) 1970 Champions Intercontinental Cup Champions with a 4-0 record in a league tournament in Varese 1973 Champions Intercontinental Cup Champions with a 3–1 record in a league tournament in São Paulo 1974 Runners-up Runners-up with a 4–1 record in a league tournament in Mexico City 1975 5th place 5th place with a 2–3 record in a league tournament in Varese 1976 Runners-up Runners-up with a 4–1 record in a league tournament in Buenos Aires 1977 Runners-up Runners-up with a 3–2 record in a league tournament in Madrid 1978 4th place 4th place with a 1–3 record in a league tournament in Buenos Aires 1979 3rd place 3rd place with a 2–2 record in a league tournament in São Paulo McDonald's Championship 1999 4th place 4th place in Milan, lost to San Antonio Spurs 86–96 in the semi-final, lost to Žalgiris 78–97 in the 3rd place game
Notable players
Ivan Bisson Paolo Conti Marcelo Damiao Andrea De Nicolao Giancarlo Ferrero Fabrizio Della Fiori Giacomo Galanda Andrea Meneghin Dino Meneghin Aldo Ossola Achille Polonara Gianmarco Pozzecco Stefano Rusconi Romeo Sacchetti Paolo Vittori Marino Zanatta Anthony Bowie Frank Brickowski Tyler Cain Bill Campion Geno Carlisle Tim Bassett Toney Douglas Bryant Dunston Derek Hamilton Delonte Holland Frank Johnson Jalen Jones Anthony Gennari Kevin Magee Nico Mannion Stan McKenzie Billy Keys Rusty LaRue Pat Cummings Bill Edwards Wes Matthews Jerry McCullough Larry Micheaux Miles Simon Ron Slay Alex Tyus Corny Thompson Eddie Lee Wilkins Leon Wood Charlie Yelverton Reggie Theus Tyrone Nesby Charles Pittman Bob Morse DeJuan Collins Daniel Farabello Gabriel Fernández Luis Scola Marko Šćekić Thomas Scrubb Arijan Komazec Mate Skelin Veljko Mršić Roko Ukić Rok Stipčević Boris Gorenc Sani Bečirović Aleksandar Ćapin Alain Digbeu Antero Lehto Teemu Rannikko Olivier Nkamhoua Kristjan Kangur Janar Talts Siim-Sander Vene Daniel Santiago Richard Petruška Pavel Podkolzin Manuel Raga Nikola Lončar Aleksa Avramović Fedon Matheou D. J. Mbenga Stan Okoye
Head coaches
Vittorio Tracuzzi (1948–54) Valerio Giobbi (1954–55) Yogi Bough (1955–56) Enrico Garbosi (1956–62) Vittorio Tracuzzi (1954–55 & 1966–68) Nico Messina (1968–69 & 1977–78) Aleksandar Nikolić (1969–73) Sandro Gamba (1973–77) Edoardo Rusconi (1978–80, 1993–97 & 2003–04) Joe Isaac (1986–89 & 1992–93) Carlo Recalcati (1997–99 & 2010–12) Valerio Bianchini (1999 & 2007–08) Gianfranco Lombardi (2000–01) Grégor Beugnot (2001–03) Ruben Magnano (2004–07) Veljko Mršić (2007–08) Stefano Pillastrini (2008–10) Francesco Vitucci (2012–13) Fabrizio Frates (2013–14) Stefano Bizzozi (2014) Gianmarco Pozzecco (2014–15) Attilio Caja (2015 & 2016–20) Paolo Moretti (2015–16) Massimo Bulleri (2020–21) Adriano Vertemati (2021–22) Johan Roijakkers (2022) Alberto Seravalli (2022) Matt Brase (2022–2023) Tom Bialaszewski (2023–2024) Herman Mandole (2024–2025) Ioannis Kastritis (2025–present)
Sponsorship names Through the years, due to sponsorship deals, it has been also known as:Lega A page on the history of Pallacanestro Varese.
Storm (1954–56) Ignis (1956–75) Mobilgirgi (1975–78) Emerson (1978–80) Turisanda (1980–81) Cagiva (1981–83) Star (1983–84) Ciao Crem (1984–85) Divarese (1985–89) Ranger (1989–92)
Cagiva (1992–97) No name sponsorship (1997–99) Varese Roosters (1999–01) Metis (2001–04) Casti Group (2004–05) Whirlpool (2005–07) Cimberio (2007–2014) OpenjobMetis (2014–present)
Shirt sponsors and manufacturers
PeriodKit manufacturer1997–1999Kappa1999–2001Reebok2002–2003(unspecified)2003–2006Macron2006-2008Nike2008–2010Aries2010–2014Macron2014–2015Adidas2015–2018Spalding2018–presentMacron
Colors and badge
References
External links
Official Website Eurobasket.com Team Page Varese Fans Basket