Virtus Bologna
Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna is a prominent Italian basketball club, based in Bologna. It currently plays in Italy's second division, having fallen on temporary hard times after decades of success.
Virtus was founded in 1879 as a gymnastics club, and fielded its first professional basketball teams in the 1920s. The club has won 15 national league titles in Italy's top division and 8 Italian Cups. It has also been a frequent participant in the Euroleague, the basketball equivalent to football's Champions League. Virtus' best season, as measured by trophies won, was 2000-01, when it won the Italian league, Italian Cup, and Euroleague titles. It also won the Euroleague in 1998.
However, several key members of Virtus' treble-winners left immediately after that accomplishment. After the 2001-02 season, Manu Ginobili, the Euroleague Final Four MVP in 2001, left for the NBA. At the end of the 2002-03 season, Virtus suffered relegation from Italy's top flight.
The local derby between Virtus and Fortitudo Bologna is one of the most intense in the entire world of sports.
This article is a stub. You can help BambooWeb by .
