Renato Villalta, seventy years of baskets: a completely black and white story
Piave breed, but Bolognese by adoption, he was bought by the lawyer Porelli for 400 million lire. At the PalaDozza the tile from which he always managed to score
On the left, Renato Villalta at 70 years old, celebrated on February 3rd; on the right, the young champion on the field while wearing the number 10 jersey of 'his' Virtus
Bologna, 3 February 2025 - Who knows, maybe the family will find him a nice cake in the shape of tile. Renato Villalta, from Maserada sul Piave, performs 70 years. Piave breed, as they used to say in the world of basketball, but Bolognese by adoption and life. Renato was bought by the lawyer Porelli for 400 million (of lire): in 1976, since then, practically, except for a brief interlude in Treviso (1989/1991) he has always been in Bologna.
He works here, his family is here. The Virtus it's here. Yes, Renato's story is all in black and white. Starting from the little tile that needs an explanation. At least for the younger ones. In the seventies and eighties, Virtus plays its home games at the sports hall in Piazza Azzarita not yet PalaDozza. And legend has it that there is, on the parquet, a special tile. Renato supports the foot on that tile, takes his signature shot - enhanced by the so-called L-scheme that Dan Peterson designed for him to play two-man games with John Roche - and the ball always goes chug.
Every shot a basket. Maybe it's a legend, but Renato certainly had a lot of satisfactions.Olympic silver in Moscow with the national team in 1980. Thegold at the European Championships, always in blue, in 1983 in France. Then two Italian Cups with Virtus. And the 1979 championships e 1980. Also perhaps the most beautiful scudetto, That of the May 1984: that of Stella. With the rank of captain. The success at the Palazzone di San Siro which is no longer there because a year later it would be fell under the weight of the snow. First player to have his shirt retired, the number 10. Only that the withdrawal is unofficial. Brunamonti's number 4 will be needed, then, to clear Renato's 10 and Danilovic's 5.
In the midst of all these baskets, the work for the baskets. The union and even for a parenthesis, the Virtus presidency.
Today Villalta turns 70: Happy birthday Renato. 70 years of greetings thinking about the great national team mates - Dino Meneghin, Pierluigi Marzorati and Meo Sacchetti above all - those of Virtus, Roberto Brunamonti, Marco Bonamico, Gianni Bertolotti, Charlie Caglieris, Gigi Serafini, Augusto Binelli, Massimo Antonelli, Domenico Fantin. The great foreigners, Kresimir Cosic, Jim McMillian, Terry Driscoll, Jan Van Breda Kolff. And the many technicians, Dan Peterson, Terry Driscoll, Sandro Gamba. A dive into history.
History by Renato and of Virtus.