Italy unveils new head coach for national squad

The Italian Basketball Federation has officially appointed 60-year-old Luca Banchi as its new head coach after being introduced by president Giovanni Petrucci during the federal council meeting. 

Banchi signed a three-year contract and will be officially presented on Friday, October 3, at 11:30 a.m. in the Hall of Honour at CONI headquarters in Rome.

The head tactician is looking forward to his debut on November 27 when Italy faces Iceland in their first qualifying match for the 2027 FIBA World Cup. 

Latvia finished in fifth place during the 2023 FIBA World Cup under his program after falling short to Germany in the quarterfinals. Latvia progressively ranked 11th in the World rankings while sixth in Europe.