Pallacanestro Cantù
Italian club with 12 European titles, second only to Real Madrid.
Pallacanestro Cantù, which plays as Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club from Cantù, Lombardy. Founded in 1936, the club has won twelve European trophies—two EuroLeague titles, four FIBA Saporta Cups, four FIBA Korać Cups, and two FIBA Intercontinental Cups—placing it second only to Real Madrid in European honors. Domestically, it has claimed three Italian League championships and two Italian Supercups.
The club began in 1936 as Associazione Pallacanestro Cantù, started by Mario Broggi, Angiolino Polli, and a group of others who played in a courtyard. In 1940, it became Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro Cantù and won the Bruno Mussolini Trophy in 1942 under coach Luigi Cicoria. After World War II, it reemerged as Pallacanestro Cantù, playing in Serie C by 1949, reaching Serie B in 1953, and debuting in Serie A in 1954, though it dropped down after one season. The Broggi brothers retired, and Lino Cappelletti became the first Cantù player on the Italian national team.
Returning to Serie A in 1956, the club was sponsored by Ettore Casella’s Oransoda brand; Casella became owner in 1958. With Tony Vlastelica, Cantù finished fourth in 1957–58. Casella later shifted sponsorship to Fonte Levissima, and Gianni Corsolini became coach. After Cappelletti retired, Carlo Recalcati joined in 1962. Alongside Bob Burgess, Alberto De Simone, Alberto Merlati, Antonio Frigerio, and Carlos D’Aquila, and coached by Borislav Stanković, the team won its first Serie A title in 1967–68.
After Erminio Casella left in 1969, Aldo Allievi took over. Coach Arnaldo Taurisano brought in Pierluigi Marzorati, who stayed fifteen years. Sponsored by Birra Forst, Cantù won three straight FIBA Korać Cups in 1973, 1974, and 1975, beating Maes Pils, Partizan, and FC Barcelona. The 1974–75 season brought a second scudetto, with players including Marzorati, Ciccio Della Fiori, Recalcati, Antonio Farina, Renzo Tombolato, Bob Lienhard, Franco Meneghel, and Mario Beretta. That same year, they added the FIBA Intercontinental Cup by defeating Real Madrid and Amazonas Franca. Harthorne Wingo joined in 1976, leading to a Cup Winners’ Cup win over Radnički Belgrade in 1977, repeated the next year against Sinudyne Bologna, and a three-peat in 1979 with John Neumann against EBBC.
The early 1980s saw coach Valerio Bianchini, Americans Tom Boswell and Bruce Flowers, fut
- founded
- 1936
- based_in
- Cantù, Lombardy, Italy
- european_trophies
- 12 (2 EuroLeague, 4 FIBA Saporta Cups, 4 FIBA Korać Cups, 2 FIBA Intercontinental Cups)
- domestic_titles
- 3 Italian Leagues, 2 Italian Supercups
- notable_players
- Pierluigi Marzorati, Antonello Riva, Carlo Recalcati
Lore & Background
The club was founded in 1936 as Associazione Pallacanestro Cantù by a group including Mario Broggi and Angiolino Polli, initially playing in a courtyard. After a name change in 1940 to Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro Cantù, they won the Bruno Mussolini Trophy in 1942. Re-emerging after World War II as Pallacanestro Cantù, they climbed from Serie C to Serie A by 1954, though they were relegated after one season. Returning to Serie A in 1956, the club won its first Serie A title in 1967–68 under coach Borislav Stanković, with players like Carlo Recalcati and Bob Burgess.
Reader's Guide
Pallacanestro Cantù's significance lies in its sustained excellence in European basketball, particularly during the 1970s and early 1980s. The club won three consecutive FIBA Korać Cups from 1973 to 1975, followed by three straight FIBA Saporta Cups from 1977 to 1979. Their peak came in 1982 and 1983, when they won back-to-back EuroLeague titles, defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv and Billy Milano respectively. Key figures included long-serving player Pierluigi Marzorati, who spent 15 years with the club, and Antonello Riva, the future Serie A all-time top scorer. The club's legacy is marked by its ability to compete at the highest level despite not being from a major Italian city, and its 12 European trophies remain a benchmark for Italian basketball.
Did You Know?
- Cantù has an 8–2 record against Real Madrid in European competition.
- The club won three consecutive FIBA Korać Cups from 1973 to 1975.
- Pierluigi Marzorati played for Cantù for 15 years and, at age 54, played in a game during the 2006–2007 season.
- The 1982 EuroLeague final saw Cantù bring 1,200 fans to Cologne, winning 86–80 over Maccabi Tel Aviv.
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