Sacchetti's 'confession': "I have a weakness for Winston"

At rest, but only temporarily. Because Meo Sacchetti, he doesn't feel his 71 years at all and considers the now "his" Sardinia not as "good retreat", but the best place to find the right energy to return to the bench.

"The passion is unchanged – he confides to us – and the next championship I would like to lead a team from the beginning, to work with the right timing". In the meantime one of the most experienced coaches Italians, who made all of Reggio cry while leading Sassari, at the time of the bitter 2015 championship final, continues to follow everything that is basket.

Coach Sacchetti, the second half of the season has just begun. Was the standings what you expected?

"Considering that they play in the Euroleague, Milan and Bologna are still very close to the top. Trapani is a surprise up to a certain point, with the budget and the roster it has, and Brescia, with the best play-pivot axis in Serie A, and I mention Miro Bilan not by chance, plus Della Valle, is fully deserving of being at the top. I admit that I would not have expected to see Trento at the same level, especially that it would start the championship with ten wins in a row. Galbiati is doing a truly excellent job".

The Unahotels?

"In my opinion they are doing very well, they have very talented players and you can see that they are a very united group. Having said that, the double commitment in Serie A and in the Cup, unless you have a team of twelve players of equal level and quality, you pay for it. Winning in Tortona for the red and whites was therefore a fundamental crossroads, as will be the match with Cremona on Saturday".

In mid-February there will be the Coppa ItaliaWill we again have an unexpected winner, as has often happened?

"Obviously there will be surprises, the history of this event says so. In a one-off match, pure talent can make the difference, regardless of the greater or lesser caliber of the teams."

When it comes to going beyond the odds, you know something about it. You won the tricolor rosette with Sassari and Cremona, who were certainly not the favorites. The secret?

"On both occasions I had very strong players and cohesive teams, who never gave up and faced difficulties together."

Quality that at the Reggio Emilia basketball there is no shortage. Maybe after the bitterness of the final lost against Treviso in 2005, and the one almost reached last year, will the red and whites shine at the F8?

"He certainly won't go to Turin on a trip, and he has the means to attempt this type of undertaking."

Are there any red and white standard bearers who remind you of winning players you have coached?

"I have a soft spot for Cassius Winston, I confess. A truly great player."

If he managed his concentration a little better and defended competently, he would be the best!

"But he wouldn't play in Reggio. He'd probably be overseas to be honest. He's a winner, he knows how to create shots for himself, he invents plays, but he also knows how to pass the ball. And as we saw in Tortona, he can become decisive in a few moments, even if he doesn't seem to shine before."

What else do you like about Priftis's troop?

"First of all, your coach. Both for the way he makes the team play and for how he interprets the role. I think that before the end of the championship I will pass by Reggio, I want to see how he works live. Then you must have great respect for the Italian group, starting with Vitali, for whom I have a predilection, and for the way they know how to work as a group. I know that Grant receives a lot of criticism, but I would wait to reject him, even in perspective. He is only 23 years old, he may not have a deadly shot but his physique is incredible and he knows how to defend".