Achille POLONARA

After a long career playing in the Italian Serie A league first with Varese and then, Reggiana and Dinamo Sassari, he moved to Baskonia in Spain. The following year, he won his first league title with the Basque side, beating Barcelona in a nail-biting final.

On 4 July, “PolonAir” was the driving force behind Italy’s victory over hosts Serbia, scoring 22 points and racking up 12 rebounds. Thanks to this monumental performance, he led the Italian team to the Tokyo Olympics after a seventeen-year absence.

After playing throughout Europe for Fenerbahçe, Anadolu Efes and Zalgiris Kaunas, he signed a two-year contract with Virtus Bologna, marking his official return to Italy and the aim of leading one of the country’s most ambitious clubs in both the Italian league and EuroLeague.

Facing tough personal challenges and a complex battle with illness with great courage, he officially announced his retirement from competitive basketball in May. He retires from the sport as the reigning Italian champion with Virtus and a symbol of tenacity for the entire basketball community.