Virtus Roma is preparing a high-profile return to Italy’s top basketball tier, Serie A, for the 2026-27 season, according to PianetaBasket.com. The historic club plans to re-enter the league under a new corporate structure while retaining the legacy of Claudio Toti’s ownership and all prior social and sporting rights.
The move is reportedly enabled by a hedge fund that purchased a Serie A license from Vanoli Cremona, with federal president Gianni Petrucci supporting the effort to restore a top-flight team in Rome. The club aims to play at PalaEur and eventually participate in the NBA Europe league, set to start in October 2027.
Virtus Roma has a storied history in Italian and European basketball. Founded through the merger of San Saba and Gruppo Borgo Cavalleggeri in the 1960s, the team became Pallacanestro Banco di Roma Virtus in 1972. The side reached Serie A in 1980 and quickly found success, winning the 1982–83 Italian championship.
The club’s golden era included a EuroLeague title in 1983–84, led by Larry Wright, Clarence Kea, and Renzo Tombolato, followed by victories in the 1984 FIBA Intercontinental Cup and the 1985–86 FIBA Korać Cup. Later, the team captured another Korac Cup in 1991–92 with stars like Dino Radja and Rick Mahorn.
Virtus Roma maintained competitive form through the 2000s, highlighted by a 2002–03 Serie A semifinals appearance under Carlton Myers and a 2005 season with Dejan Bodiroga and coach Svetislav Pesic, reaching the EuroCup quarterfinals. Despite on-court success, financial difficulties forced the club to downscale and play in lower divisions, culminating in its 2020 withdrawal from Serie A.
The club has alternated between arenas to manage costs. Initially based at Palazzetto dello Sport (3,500 seats), it moved to PalaLottomatica (now PalaEur) (11,200 seats) in 1983, returning temporarily to the smaller venue between 2011 and 2018 to reduce expenses. A 2018 agreement allowed Virtus to play at PalaLottomatica during the Serie A2 2018–19 season.
Currently, Rome is represented in lower divisions by teams like Luiss Roma and Virtus GVM Roma 1960, with other notable clubs including Carver Roma and San Paolo Ostiense. The planned Serie A return will restore top-level basketball to the capital for the first time since Virtus withdrew in 2020.
If successful, Virtus Roma’s comeback could also serve as a stepping stone into NBA Europe, aligning with the league’s goal of having teams in major cities of the continent.
