TRAPANI (ITALPRESS) – There is a team that is rewriting the history of Sicilian basketball and beyond. A neo-promoted team that doesn’t look neo-promoted at all. The Trapani Shark is now leading the league standings – co-habiting with Brescia, Trento and Bologna – and has gained access to the Final Eight. A historic achievement. It is not a miracle but a result achieved thanks to the club led by the charismatic Valerio Antonini and a man who shaped this team in his image and likeness: Jasmin Repesa, who told Agenzia Italpress about this extraordinary journey. “It was not by chance,” the Croatian coach stressed, “In sixteen games we did well, of course, but there is a lot of work behind it. We had an important budget and we did not make any wrong market choices in the summer. Our president, who is an exuberant, charismatic, winning man, has conveyed a contagious enthusiasm, an energy that pushes us every day to do better. To be part of this story is a tremendous privilege. We enjoy the moment, but we know we can grow further.” But what is the secret of this team, born from a perfect combination of some players who were protagonists of last season’s promotion and the new recruits? “Everything starts with defense – Repesa’s recipe – We are a team that runs a lot and knows how to do it intelligently. But we are good, not perfect. We have players with the right characteristics for this kind of game, like Robinson and Notae, but we have to keep growing. Against Scafati we lost 20 balls, and that is not good. We need to improve, especially in one-on-one.” The Sharks’ magic doesn’t stop with numbers. “This is a team game. If there is no chemistry there is no game,” the coach confesses. “In life, as in sports, without chemistry you don’t go far. Building it takes time, but maintaining it requires sacrifice. Every single player must put aside the ‘I’ for the ‘we,’ because that’s the only way to create something great.” If there is an engine that pushes the Granata team beyond its limits, it is the fans. “These people, these people who follow us everywhere, are our beating heart. It’s an incredible drive that gives us strength, that reminds us why we do all this.” And while the fans, as they should, are dreaming of the Scudetto, Repesa prefers to be more cautious while not losing sight of the goal. “We are moving forward one step at a time. The first goal was achieved with qualification to the Final Eight, but now we have to be ready to play them to the fullest. We want to go home with our heads held high. After that we will think about the playoffs, which is another championship. The key is to keep growing, because the playoffs are another championship and we will be facing real battleships. The longest challenges are yet to come. And we want to be ready.” In closing, a heartfelt message: “I invite all our fans to be with us on Saturday and beyond. We have a tough game against a very talented team – the reference to the upcoming engagement with Pistoia – but with your support everything is possible. We want to give you another unforgettable evening, because we are writing this history together, and without you it would not be the same.”- photo Ipa Agency -(ITALPRESS).
