Virtus Roma

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title: "Virtus Roma" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1960-establishments-in-italy", "basketball-teams-established-in-1960", "basketball-in-rome", "basketball-teams-in-lazio", "euroleague-winning-clubs", "sports-clubs-and-teams-in-rome", "basketball-teams-disestablished-in-2020"] topic_path: "geography/italy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtus_Roma" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox basketball club"]

FieldValue
color3#f7ac0b
color2#aa0000
color1white
nameVirtus Roma 1960
leaguesSerie B
founded1960
2021 (refoundation)
historyVirtus Aurelia
(1960–1972)
Pallacanestro Virtus Roma
(1972–2020)
Virtus Roma 1960
(2021–present)
arenaPalaLottomatica
capacity11,200
locationRome, Lazio, Italy
colorsRed, Yellow, Blue

| | president | Maurizio Zoffoli | | coach | Alessandro Tonolli | | championships | 1 FIBA Intercontinental Cup 1 EuroLeague 2 FIBA Korać Cups 1 Italian League 1 Italian Supercup | | website | virtusroma1960.it | | h_body | ffffff | | h_pattern_b | _virtusroma1819h | | h_shorts | ffffff | | h_pattern_s | _virtusroma1819h | | a_body | b90b0d | | a_pattern_b | _virtusroma1819a | | a_shorts | b90b0d | | a_pattern_s | _virtusroma1819a | | 3_body | 0C0064 | | 3_pattern_b | _virtusroma1819a | | 3_shorts | 0C0064 | | 3_pattern_s | _virtusroma1819a | ::

| color3 = #f7ac0b | color2 = #aa0000 | color1 = white | current = | name = Virtus Roma 1960 | nickname = | logo = | image_size = | leagues = Serie B | founded = 1960 2021 (refoundation) | dissolved = | history = Virtus Aurelia (1960–1972) Pallacanestro Virtus Roma (1972–2020) Virtus Roma 1960 (2021–present) | arena = PalaLottomatica | capacity = 11,200 | location = Rome, Lazio, Italy | colors = Red, Yellow, Blue

| president = Maurizio Zoffoli | coach = Alessandro Tonolli | championships = 1 FIBA Intercontinental Cup 1 EuroLeague 2 FIBA Korać Cups 1 Italian League 1 Italian Supercup

| website = virtusroma1960.it | h_body = ffffff | h_pattern_b = _virtusroma1819h | h_shorts = ffffff | h_pattern_s = _virtusroma1819h | a_body = b90b0d | a_pattern_b = _virtusroma1819a | a_shorts = b90b0d | a_pattern_s = _virtusroma1819a | 3_body = 0C0064 | 3_pattern_b = _virtusroma1819a | 3_shorts = 0C0064 | 3_pattern_s = _virtusroma1819a Virtus Roma 1960, commonly known as Virtus Roma, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Rome, Lazio. The club, named Pallacanestro Virtus Roma competed in the first division of Italian basketball, the LBA, for decades until 2020, when it went bankrupt. In 2021 the club was refounded.

It was formerly a major side in Europe, winning the 1983–84 FIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague), and at one time being one of only 13 clubs to hold a EuroLeague A license. However, its standing later waned, and Virtus became less competitive in both Europe and the domestic LBA - which it had won in 1983 – before being voluntarily relegated to the Italian second division in July 2015.

In December 2020, Virtus was dissolved after the club was declared bankrupt after months of financial struggles.

For past club sponsorship names, see sponsorship names.

History

The club was formed by the merger of two Roman sides, San Saba and Gruppo Borgo Cavalleggeri, under the name Virtus Aurelia in the late 1960s, the founding date of San Saba, 1960, was kept as Virtus'. In 1972, Virtus Aurelia merged with GS Banco di Roma, the sporting wing of Banco di Roma, forming Pallacanestro Banco di Roma Virtus or simply Banco di Roma. The side reached the Italian second division in 1978, staying two years before moving up to the Italian top level LBA, in 1980.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Pallacanestro_Banco_di_Roma_Virtus_Limoges_1983.jpg" caption="Banco di Roma before the kick-off of the European Champions Cup match against Limoges CSP in 1983."] ::

This was the start of an extended stay in the first division, and success followed soon after, with the side winning the 1983 championship. Earning a place in the 1983–84 FIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague), Virtus went on to win the competition at its first try, with a Larry Wright led squad, that also had Clarence Kea, Renzo Tombolato, and Fulvio Polesello. Wright was decisive in the EuroLeague Final against FC Barcelona, scoring 27 points, as Roma overturned a 10-point halftime deficit to win the decider. The next season, the Italian club won the 1984 FIBA Intercontinental Cup, after topping a group of international clubs in Brazil. Roma also won the 1985–86 FIBA Korać Cup final against Mobilgirgi Caserta.

The club's next title was the 1991–92 FIBA Korać Cup, by which time Banco di Roma had been replaced as the club's sponsor by Il Messaggero. A squad comprising Dino Rađa, Rick Mahorn, Roberto Premier, and Andrea Niccolai downed Scavolini Pesaro in the two-legged final. The next year, Virtus managed to reach the FIBA Korać Cup final again, but lost the game against Philips Milano. During the 2002–03 season, Carlton Myers led the team to a 25–9 record in the Serie A (LBA), as Roma reached the playoff's semifinals. After adding Dejan Bodiroga as a player, and head coach Svetislav Pešić, in the 2005 off-season, Virtus reached the ULEB Cup (EuroCup) quarterfinals, the Serie A semifinals, and the Italian Cup final, that it lost in overtime.

In the summer of 2011, the Italian club's EuroLeague A-license was suspended, after it finished in the bottom half of the Serie A. The next year, it lost the license completely, after having the worst record among A license clubs. It lost its license to EA7 Emporio Armani Milano. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Pallacanestro_Virtus_Roma_supporters.jpg" caption="Virtus Roma supporters in 2008"] ::

In a strange twist, Virtus Roma then went on to have an excellent season, unexpectedly, by their own admission, reaching the Serie A finals, which would earn it the right to return to the EuroLeague. However, the club relinquished their rights, as they did not agree to some of the competition's requirements. In particular, paying rent for an arena with the minimum arena capacity. They thus earned a place in the second tier EuroCup instead.

In July 2015, despite having satisfied the economic conditions to participate in the Italian top level LBA, the club's management asked to participate instead in the Italian second division Serie A2. The permission to do so was granted by the Italian Basketball Federation. The cited motive for the move to the lower division, was an insufficient budget to be competitive at the higher level, and the desire to restructure the club based on a youth policy.

On April 23, 2019, after beating Legnano Knights by 83–88, Virtus Roma is proclaimed champion of the Serie A2, getting the direct promotion to the Serie A. Virtu returns to the highest tier after an absence of four years.

Dissolution

On December 9, 2020, the club withdrew from the Serie A due to financial difficulties and the inability to find a new investor.

Arenas

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/PalaLottomatica.jpg" caption="Fans of Roma at [[PalaLottomatica]], in 2006."] ::

Virtus played at the 3,500 seating capacity Palazzetto dello Sport arena, until 1983. The club then played at the 11,200 seat PalaLottomatica arena, from 1983 to 2011, except between 2000 and 2003, when the arena was undergoing extensive renovation work.

After the club down scaled its operations costs, due to reduced funds, Virtus found the operating costs of the PalaLottomatica to be prohibitive, and decided to avoid playing in the larger arena. So from 2011 to 2018, it returned to the Palazzetto dello Sport, even playing games there during the 2013 Italian LBA Finals.

On June 9, 2018, Virtus Roma reached a new deal with All Events SpA, the operator of PalaLottomatica, to play at the arena during the Serie A2 2018–19 season.

2020–21 roster

This was the last roster that Roma had in the 2020–21 LBA season before the official withdrawal from the championship. | team = Virtus Roma | color1 = #FFCB3D | bg1 =#B50000 | color2 = #B50000 | bg2 = #FFCB3D

| head_coach =

  • ITA Piero Bucchi | asst_coach =
  • ITA Giuseppe Di Paolo
  • ITA Andrea Bonacina | roster_url = https://www.virtusroma.it/roster/ | accessdate = 10 December 2020

The team would line up as in the shown below. Roma adopted a 6+6 format where a maximum of 6 foreign players along with 6 Italian or Italian grown players could be called for each game. |team_name = Virtus Roma |switch_colors = yes

|starter_c = Dario Hunt
|starter_pf = Chris Evans
|starter_sf = Jamil Wilson
|starter_sg = Anthony Beane
|starter_pg = Gerald Robinson

|bench 1_c = Riccardo Cervi
|bench 1_pf = Damir Hadžić
|bench 1_sf = Liam Farley
|bench 1_sg = Luca Campogrande |bench 1_pg = Tommaso Baldasso

|bench 2_c = Ygor Biordi
|bench 2_pf = |bench 2_sf = |bench 2_sg = |bench 2_pg =

|notes = (colours: Italian or homegrown players; foreign players)

Honours

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Pallacanestro_Virtus_Roma_Banners.jpg" caption="Banners of Virtus Roma"] ::

Total titles: 6

Domestic competitions

European competitions

Worldwide competitions

Other competitions

  • Trofeo Ambrose : Winners (1): 2009

The road to the European victories

Main article: Pallacanestro Virtus Roma in international competitions

1983–84 FIBA European Champions Cup ::data[format=table]

RoundTeamHomeAway
1stLUX T71 Dudelange85–4472–40
2ndALB Partizani Tirana93–5578–69
SFFRA Limoges CSP81–7676–74
ESP FC Barcelona74–7174–81
ITA Jollycolombani Cantù85–8679–71
ISR Maccabi Tel Aviv82–6791–85
YUG Bosna65–5577–86
FESP FC Barcelona79–73
::

1985–86 FIBA Korać Cup ::data[format=table]

RoundTeamHomeAway
2ndBye
Top 16ISR Hapoel Tel Aviv93–7482–92
YUG Bosna91–7796–100
FRA Challans107–8078–77
SFFRA Olympique Antibes83–7578–69
FITA Mobilgirgi Caserta73–7284–78
::

1991–92 FIBA Korać Cup ::data[format=table]

RoundTeamHomeAway
1stBEL Go Pass Verviers-Pepinster104–9099–89
2ndFRA Reims94–7172–54
Top 16ESP CAI Zaragoza97–7281–77
GRE Panathinaikos84–7599–96
FRA Pitch Cholet95–8869–83
QFFRA Racing Club de France80–7271–70
SFESP Fórum Filatélico Valladolid76–7066–67
FITA Scavolini Pesaro94–9499–86
::

Season by season record

The following table shows the records from the season 1977–78 in all competitions:

::data[format=table]

SeasonTierLeaguePos.PostseasonItalian CupSupercupEuropeWorldwide
1977–783Serie B4[[File:Green Arrow Up.svg10px]] Promoted–––
1978–792Serie A25–––––
1979–802Serie A23[[File:Green Arrow Up.svg10px]] Promoted–––
1980–811Serie A10–––––
1981–821Serie A10–––––
1982–831Serie A1Champions––Korać CupTop 16
1983–841Serie A9–Quarterfinalist–EuroleagueChampions
1984–851Serie A1QuarterfinalistQuarterfinalist–EuroleagueTop 6
1985–861Serie A10QuarterfinalistQuarterfinalist–Korać CupChampions
1986–871Serie A8Top 12Top 32–––
1987–881Serie A10QuarterfinalistQuarterfinalist–––
1988–891Serie A12–Top 32–––
1989–901Serie A8QuarterfinalistFinalist–––
1990–911Serie A4SemifinalistTop 16–––
1991–921Serie A6SemifinalistQuarterfinalist–Korać CupChampions
1992–931Serie A12–Top 16–Korać CupFinalist
1993–941Serie A15–Top 32–––
1994–951Serie A8QuarterfinalistQuarterfinalist–––
1995–961Serie A6QuarterfinalistQuarterfinalist–––
1996–971Serie A6QuarterfinalistQuarterfinalist–Korać CupQuarterfinalist
1997–981Serie A8QuarterfinalistQuarterfinalist–Korać CupSemifinalist
1998–991Serie A6QuarterfinalistQuarterfinalist–Korać CupTop 16
1999–001Serie A6Top 14Quarterfinalist–Korać CupQuarterfinalist
2000–011Serie A5QuarterfinalistSemifinalistChampions––
2001–021Serie A8Quarterfinalist––––
2002–031Serie A2SemifinalistQuarterfinalist–––
2003–041Serie A7QuarterfinalistQuarterfinalist–EuroleagueRegular season
2004–051Serie A6SemifinalistSemifinalist–––
2005–061Serie A6SemifinalistQuarterfinalist–EurocupQuarterfinalist
2006–071Serie A4SemifinalistQuarterfinalist–EuroleagueTop 16
2007–081Serie A2FinalistQuarterfinalist–EuroleagueTop 16
2008–091Serie A2QuarterfinalistQuarterfinalist–EuroleagueTop 16
2009–101Serie A7Semifinalist––EuroleagueRegular season
2010–111Serie A9–––EuroleagueTop 16
2011–121Serie A13–––––
2012–131Serie A3FinalistSemifinalist–––
2013–141Serie A6SemifinalistQuarterfinalist–EurocupRegular season
2014–151Serie A10[[File:Red Arrow Down.svg10px]] Demoted––Eurocup
2015–162Serie A2––––––
::

Notable players

2010s

2000s

1990s

1980s

1970s

Head coaches

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Pallacanestro_Virtus_Roma_bench.jpg" caption="Coach [[Jasmin Repeša]] and his players during a timeout during the 2005–06 season."] ::

::data[format=table]
::

Sponsorship names

Throughout the years, due to sponsorship, the club has been known as:

  • Virtus Aurelia (no sponsorship, 1960–61 until 1971–72)
  • Banco di Roma (1972–73 until 1987–88)
  • Phonola Roma (1988–89)
  • Il Messaggero Roma (1989–90 until 1991–92)
  • Virtus Roma (no sponsorship, 1992–93)
  • Burghy Roma (1993–94)
  • Teorematour Roma (1994–95)
  • Nuova Tirrena Roma (1995–96)
  • Telemarket Roma (1996–97)
  • Calze Pompea Roma (1997–98 until 1998–99)
  • Aeroporti di Roma Virtus (1999–00 until 2000–01)
  • Würth Roma (2001–02)
  • Lottomatica Roma (2002–03 until 2010–11)
  • Acea Roma (2011–12 until 2015–16)
  • UniCusano Roma (2016–17 until 2017–18)
  • Virtus Roma (no sponsorship, 2018–19 to 2020–21)

References

References

  1. . (13 September 2013). ["Club profile: Virtus Rome"](http://www.eurocupbasketball.com/eurocup/news/i/116771/club-profile-virtus-rome).
  2. Stankovic, Vladimir. (2 December 2013). "Larry Wright, the man with two rings".
  3. . (30 June 2011). ["New teams proposed as 2011-12 Turkish Airlines Euroleague participants"](http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/86325/new-teams-proposed-as-2011-12-turkish-airlines-euroleague-participants).
  4. . (20 June 2012). ["Euroleague board awards two-year Turkish Airlines Euroleague license to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan"](http://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague-basketball/news/i/98302/euroleague-board-awards-two-year-turkish-airlines-euroleague-license-to-ea7-emporio-armani-milan).
  5. . (21 June 2013). ["Rome announces it will not play in Turkish Airlines Euroleague"](http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/114414/rome-announces-it-will-not-play-in-turkish-airlines-euroleague).
  6. Canfora, Mario. (16 July 2015). "Basket, Serie A: Roma si retrocede in A-2. Caserta ripescata".
  7. . (17 July 2015). ["Consiglio federale a Roma. Barilla sponsor della maglia Azzurra, Ammissioni ai Campionati 2015-16, Prandi presidente CIA"](http://www.fip.it/News.asp?IDNews=8376).
  8. . (16 July 2015). ["Basket: l'Acea Virtus riparte dai giovani e dal territorio"](http://www.virtusroma.it/basket-lacea-virtus-riparte-dai-giovani-e-dal-territorio/#.VakiO_ntmko).
  9. "La Virtus Roma è in Serie A! Batte Legnano 83-88 e si laurea Campione".
  10. . ["Il Palazzetto dello Sport"](http://www.virtusroma.it/ticketing/il-palazzetto-dello-sport/).
  11. Corio, Paolo. (14 June 2013). "Finali basket: perché Roma non vuole il PalaEUR".
  12. . (9 June 2018). ["Virtus Roma: accordo raggiunto, si torna al PalaLottomatica"](https://sportando.basketball/it/italia/serie-a2-ovest/276483/virtus-roma-accordo-raggiunto-si-torna-al-palalottomatica.html).

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1960-establishments-in-italybasketball-teams-established-in-1960basketball-in-romebasketball-teams-in-lazioeuroleague-winning-clubssports-clubs-and-teams-in-romebasketball-teams-disestablished-in-2020