Pallacanestro Cantù
Pallacanestro Cantù, known for sponsorship reasons as Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù, is an Italian professional basketball club that is based in Cantù, Lombardy. On the European-wide club competition scene, Cantù is second to Real Madrid – against whom they have an 8–2 record – for European trophies won, with twelve titles (two EuroLeague, four FIBA Saporta Cups, four FIBA Korać Cups and also two FIBA Intercontinental Cups.), in addition to three domestic Italian Leagues and two Italian Supercups. History 1936–1969: Formation and early years The club was founded as Associazione Pallacanestro Cantù in 1936 with impetus from Mario Broggi and Angiolino Polli. At a time when basketball was an unknown sport in Italy, a group composed of Broggi, Polli, Attilio Molteni, Peppino Borghi, Alberto Broggi, Vittorio Sgariboldi, Nene Marchi and Peppino Colombo started to play in the courtyard of the Sacramentine Sisters Institute. A name change in 1940 saw the club become Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro Cantù, winning their first major trophy in 1942 with the Bruno Mussolini Trophy after a squad coached by Luigi Cicoria won against Pallacanestro Varese and General Cantore Milano. The club re-emerged after World War II as Pallacanestro Cantù, playing in the third division Serie C in 1949. It then reached the second division Serie B in 1953 and the first division Serie A in 1954, though they downgraded after one season. The Broggi brothers retired during this period, replaced on the court by Lino Cappelletti (the first Cantù player to make the Italian national team) Lietti, Ronchetti and Quarta, whilst the squad was sponsored by the Milenka distillery. Returning to the Serie A in 1956, the club was sponsored by Ettore Casella through his Oransoda brand, and two years later he became the club's owner, nominating Aldo Allievi as president. The arrival of Tony Vlastelica allowed Cantù, now playing in a covered Parini arena, to finish fourth in 1957–58 and start challenging Minganti Bologna and Simmenthal Milano. Over the summer, Casella transferred his Oransoda sponsorship to Virtus Bologna whilst using another of his brands, Fonte Levissima, for Cantù, whilst Gianni Corsolini was named coach. After Cappelletti retired, he was replaced in 1962 by a young player from Milano, Carlo Recalcati. Recalcati, along with the "wall of Cantù" – composed of Bob Burgess (arrived from Real Madrid), Alberto De Simone and Alberto Merlati – Antonio Frigerio and Carlos D'Aquila formed the team – coached by Borislav Stanković – that would win the club's first ever Serie A title in 1967–68. 1969–1979: The second scudetto The 1969 off-season saw Erminio Casella (who had replaced his father as owner after his death in 1967) leave the club, with Allievi stepping in to take his place. Arnaldo Taurisano was named coach and Pierluigi Marzorati joined, and stayed fifteen years with the club. Though Ignis and Simmenthal had a hold on the Italian league during that period, a Birra Forst-sponsored squad composed of Marzorati, Recalcati, Antonio Farina, Ciccio Della Fiori and Renzo Tombolato captured three successive FIBA Korać Cups in 1973,