S.S. Felice Scandone
Italian basketball club, Italian Cup winner, bankrupt in 2021.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
S.S. Felice Scandone was an Italian professional basketball club from Avellino, Campania. It was founded in 1948 and spent 18 seasons in the top-tier Lega Basket Serie A, from 2000–01 through 2017–18. The club’s biggest honor came in 2008, when it won the Italian Cup. It also competed in European tournaments, including one season in the EuroLeague (2008–09), three in the FIBA Champions League (2016–17 to 2018–19), and a runner-up finish in the FIBA Europe Cup in 2017–18. The club went bankrupt and shut down in 2021.
- known_for
- Winning the Italian Cup in 2008; reaching the FIBA Europe Cup final in 2017–18
Lore & Background
The club was founded in 1948 as Felice Scandone Sports Society, merging with Libertas Avellino in 1950 and CSI-Cestistica Irpina in 1968. After moving between leagues from 1974 to 1995, it settled in Serie B1. Under coach Gianluca Tucci, the team reached Serie A2, and by 2001 it debuted in the top-tier Serie A, finishing ninth. The 2007–08 season was the club's peak: coach Matteo Boniciolli led Avellino to a 4th-place regular season finish (23–11 record), and the team won its first Italian Cup, beating La Fortezza Bologna 73–67 in the final, with Devin Smith named game MVP. The following season, Avellino made its European debut in the EuroLeague. After a difficult period from 2011 to 2015, the club reached the Italian Cup final in 2016, losing to Olimpia Milano, and the league semifinals that same year. In 2017–18, Scandone played its first European final, the FIBA Europe Cup, losing to Reyer Venezia. In July 2019, the LBA announced Scandone could not apply for a league license, and the team joined Serie B Basket. The club was declared bankrupt in July 2021 and ceased sporting activities.
Reader's Guide
S.S. Felice Scandone was a significant Italian basketball club that achieved its greatest success in the late 2000s, winning the Italian Cup in 2008 and competing in the EuroLeague the following season. The club's 2008 Italian Cup victory, in its first participation in the competition, marked a high point for a team that had only reached the top division in 2000. Despite financial struggles and relegation threats, the club maintained a presence in Serie A for 19 years. Its European campaigns included one season in the EuroLeague, three in the FIBA Champions League, and a runner-up finish in the FIBA Europe Cup in 2017–18. The club's bankruptcy in 2021 ended its history, though a new legal entity, S.S. Felice Scandone Avellino 1948, acquired the logos and sporting legacies in 2023. The club's legacy is tied to its Italian Cup title and its role as a representative of Avellino in top-tier Italian basketball.
Did You Know?
- The club won the Italian Cup in 2008, though it had participated in the competition before.
- Avellino reached the FIBA Europe Cup final in 2017–18, losing to Reyer Venezia.
- The club played in the EuroLeague for one season (2008–09).
- S.S. Felice Scandone was founded in 1948 and ceased activities in 2021 due to bankruptcy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is S.S. Felice Scandone?
S.S. Felice Scandone was a professional basketball club based in Avellino, Campania, Italy. Founded in 1948, the team competed in the top domestic division, Lega Basket Serie A, for 19 consecutive seasons spanning from 2000–01 to 2018–19.
What is S.S. Felice Scandone's greatest trophy?
The club's most significant honor was winning the Italian Cup in 2008, which remains the highlight of their competitive history. That same period also saw them qualify for the EuroLeague for the 2008–09 campaign.
How did S.S. Felice Scandone perform in European competition?
Beyond their single EuroLeague stint, the team spent three seasons in the FIBA Champions League between 2016–17 and 2018–19. Their best European result was reaching the FIBA Europe Cup final in 2017–18, where they finished as runners-up.
Why do fans still talk about S.S. Felice Scandone today?
Avellino supporters remember the club as a small-market team that punched well above its weight, sustaining nearly two decades of top-flight basketball and a major domestic title. The 2008 Italian Cup victory in particular is celebrated as proof that a club from a modest city could compete with Italy's basketball elite.
What happened to S.S. Felice Scandone after 2019?
The club went bankrupt and officially ceased operations in 2021, ending its 73-year existence. That shutdown left Avellino without its long-standing professional basketball identity.
More in Basketball teams in Italy 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record