After Italy’s elimination at EuroBasket 2025 with a Round of 16 loss to Slovenia, Gianmarco Pozzecco revealed that his time as head coach of the Azzurri had come to an end.
The always passionate and emotional leader used the postgame press conference to confirm his decision.
“It’s my last game with Italy. I want to thank my president, Giovanni Petrucci, for giving me the honor of becoming coach of the national team. From the bottom of my heart, it’s like… maybe, no – for sure, the best moment of my life. It was truly an honor to have this role in Italian basketball,” Pozzecco said, visibly moved.
He expressed appreciation for everyone who believed in him throughout his tenure, but made it clear that his deepest thanks were reserved for his players.
“To my players, I really love all of them. I don’t give a f*ck about what type of coach I am. I’m not focused on that. I’m not focused on my career. I don’t give a f*ck about what you think about me. In my life, in my coaching life, I’m just focused on them,” he insisted, his voice breaking with emotion.
The outgoing coach emphasized that the pain of defeat was not about himself, but about the team he loved leading.
“Today I’m really sad, not because we lost the game, but because I see them suffer. And I can be the worst coach in the world, I don’t give a f*ck, really. Believe me. I’m not lying, I’m not lying to you. But as I told them at the end of the game in the locker room, nobody has the respect that I have for Italian players. And I tell them, nobody will ever love them more than me.”
For Pozzecco, the farewell was less about stepping away from the sidelines and more about closing a chapter in which he poured every ounce of himself into his players and the shirt they wore.
Coach Pozzecco leaving Italian national team: “It was a true honor” #EuroBasket https://t.co/S2R2voqVwI
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) September 7, 2025
