Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna

"Fortitudo Bologna" redirects here. For the baseball team, see Fortitudo Baseball Bologna.
Fortitudo Bologna
Leagues Serie A2 (2nd)
Founded 1932 (2013)
History Fortitudo Bologna
(1939–2012)
Fortitudo Bologna 103
(2013–present)
Arena Land Rover Arena
(capacity: 5,721)
Location Bologna, Italy
Team colors White and blue
         
Championships 2 Italian Leagues
1 Italian Cup
2 Italian Supercups
Website fortitudobologna.it
Uniforms
Home
Away

Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna 103 is a basketball club based in Bologna, Italy. It plays in the second division Serie A2 as of the 2015–16 season.

History

Fortitudo has for much of its history played second fiddle in its own city to arch rivals Virtus Bologna. Fortitudo won its first major trophy in 1998, winning the Italian Cup.

Fortitudo made the Italian league finals ten consecutive years (1997 through 2006). After three straight finals losses, Fortitudo won the Serie A for the first time in 2000. Four consecutive finals losses were followed by Fortitudo's second league title in 2005, courtesy of a 3-1 win over Armani Jeans Milano in the finals series when instant replay upheld a Ruben Douglas buzzer beater in Game 4 of the championship series.

In recent years, Fortitudo had been a fixture in the European top-tier Euroleague. Fortitudo's first achievement in European competition was a Korać Cup final against Jugoplastika Split in 1977 in their maiden participation. It got to the Euroleague Final four in 1999 (losing in the semifinal against city rivals Kinder Bologna and in third place game against Olympiacos) and the semifinal of the Euroleague playoffs in 2001 (again eliminated by eternal rivals Virtus); then the club lost in the Euroleague final in 2004 to Maccabi Elite by 44 points. A ubpar 2006-07 season saw them change coachs thrice as they finished thirteenth (out of eighteen), though they still qualified for the ULEB Cup 2007-08.

Financial difficulties saw the club's affiliation to the Italian Federation revoked and Fortitudo was barred from playing in any competition. On 18 June 2013, a group of local entrepreneurs, professionals and fans joined to give life to Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna 103, the spiritual successor (with the same fan base such as the Fossa dei Leoni fan group) of the original entity. Starting from the fourth division DNB, Fortitudo climbed to the second division Serie A2 where it will play during the 2015-16 season.

Arena

Fortitudo's home arena is the Paladozza, known for sponsorship reasons as the Land Rover Arena (and sometimes nicknamed the Madison Square Garden of Bologna), which can host approximately 5,700 fans.

Honours

Domestic competitions

Italian League

Italian Cup

Italian Supercup

Italian League (Serie B)

European competitions

Euroleague

FIBA Korać Cup

Top performances in European & Worldwide competitions

Season Achievement Notes
Euroleague
1996-97 Quarter-finals eliminated 2-1 by FC Barcelona, 70-65 (W) in Bologna, 73-75 (L) in Barcelona and 62-87 (L) in Bologna
1997-98 Quarter-finals eliminated 2-0 by Kinder Bologna, 52-64 (L) in Bologna away, 56-58 (L) in Bologna home
1998-99 Final Four 4th place in Munich, lost to Kinder Bologna 57-62 in the semi-final, lost to Olympiacos 63-74 in the 3rd place game
1999-00 Quarter-finals eliminated 2-1 by Maccabi Elite, 65-62 (W) in Tel Aviv, 73-80 (L) in Bologna and 64-79 (L) in Tel Aviv
2000-01 Semi-finals eliminated 3-0 by Kinder Bologna, 76-103 (L) in Bologna away, 84-92 (L) in Bologna away and 70-74 (L) in Bologna home
2003-04 Final defeated Montepaschi Siena 103-102 in the semi-final, lost to Maccabi Elite 74-118 in the final (Tel Aviv)
FIBA Korać Cup
1976-77 Final lost to Jugoplastika Split 84-87 in the final (Genoa)
1994-95 Quarter-finals eliminated by Alba Berlin, 73-77 (L) in Berlin and 80-80 (D) in Bologna
1995-96 Semi-finals eliminated by Efes Pilsen, 78-102 (L) in Istanbul and 97-91 (W) in Bologna

Notable players

Sponsorship names

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

  • Cassera Bologna (1966–68)
  • Eldorado Bologna (1968–71)
  • Alco Bologna (1971–78)
  • Mercury Bologna (1978–80)
  • I&B Bologna (1980–81)
  • Lattesole Bologna (1981–83)
  • Yoga Bologna (1983–88)
  • Arimo Bologna (1988–90)
  • Aprimatic Bologna (1990–91)
  • Mangiaebevi Bologna (1991–93)
  • Filodoro Bologna (1993–95)
  • Teamsystem Bologna (1995–99)
  • Paf Wennington Bologna (1999–01)
  • Skipper Bologna (2001–04)
  • Climamio Bologna (2004–07)
  • UPIM Bologna [Domestically] (2007–08)
    • Beghelli Bologna [European competition] (2007–08)
  • GMAC Bologna [Domestically] (2008–09)
    • Fortitudo Bologna [European competition] (2008–09)
  • Amori Bologna (2009–10)
  • Tulipano Impianti Bologna (2013–14)
  • Eternedile Bologna (2014–)

References

    External links

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