Virtus Roma

The club was formed by the merger of two Roman sides, San Saba and Gruppo Borgo Cavalleggeri, under the name Virtus Aurelia in the late 1960s, the founding date of San Saba, 1960, was kept as Virtus'. In 1972, Virtus Aurelia merged with GS Banco di Roma, the sporting wing of Banco di Roma, forming Pallacanestro Banco di Roma Virtus or simply Banco di Roma. The side reached the Italian second division in 1978, staying two years before moving up to the Italian top level LBA, in 1980.

Banco di Roma before the kick-off of the European Champions Cup match against Limoges CSP in 1983.

This was the start of an extended stay in the first division, and success followed soon after, with the side winning the 1983 championship. Earning a place in the 1983–84 FIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague), Virtus went on to win the competition at its first try, with a Larry Wright led squad, that also had Clarence Kea, Renzo Tombolato, and Fulvio Polesello. Wright was decisive in the EuroLeague Final against FC Barcelona, scoring 27 points, as Roma overturned a 10-point halftime deficit to win the decider.[1] The next season, the Italian club won the 1984 FIBA Intercontinental Cup, after topping a group of international clubs in Brazil.[2] Roma also won the 1985–86 FIBA Korać Cup final against Mobilgirgi Caserta.

The club's next title was the 1991–92 FIBA Korać Cup, by which time Banco di Roma had been replaced as the club's sponsor by Il Messaggero. A squad comprising Dino Rađa, Rick Mahorn, Roberto Premier, and Andrea Niccolai downed Scavolini Pesaro in the two-legged final.[1] The next year, Virtus managed to reach the FIBA Korać Cup final again, but lost the game against Philips Milano. During the 2002–03 season, Carlton Myers led the team to a 25–9 record in the Serie A (LBA), as Roma reached the playoff's semifinals.[1] After adding Dejan Bodiroga as a player, and head coach Svetislav Pešić, in the 2005 off-season, Virtus reached the ULEB Cup (EuroCup) quarterfinals, the Serie A semifinals, and the Italian Cup final, that it lost in overtime.[1]

In the summer of 2011, the Italian club's EuroLeague A-license was suspended, after it finished in the bottom half of the Serie A.[3] The next year, it lost the license completely, after having the worst record among A license clubs. It lost its license to EA7 Emporio Armani Milano.[4]

Virtus Roma supporters in 2008

In a strange twist, Virtus Roma then went on to have an excellent season, unexpectedly, by their own admission, reaching the Serie A finals, which would earn it the right to return to the EuroLeague. However, the club relinquished their rights, as they did not agree to some of the competition's requirements. In particular, paying rent for an arena with the minimum arena capacity. They thus earned a place in the second tier EuroCup instead.[5]

In July 2015, despite having satisfied the economic conditions to participate in the Italian top level LBA, the club's management asked to participate instead in the Italian second division Serie A2. The permission to do so was granted by the Italian Basketball Federation. The cited motive for the move to the lower division, was an insufficient budget to be competitive at the higher level, and the desire to restructure the club based on a youth policy.[6][7][8]

On April 23, 2019, after beating Legnano Knights by 83-88, Virtus Roma is proclaimed champion of the Serie A2, getting the direct promotion to the Serie A.[9] Virtu returns to the highest tier after an absence of four years.

Fans of Roma at PalaLottomatica, in 2006.

• Palazzetto dello Sport (seating capacity: 3,500): (1960–1983, 2000–2003, 2011–2018)
• PalaLottomatica: (seating capacity: 11,200): (1983–1999, 2003–2011, 2018–present)

Virtus played at the 3,500 seating capacity Palazzetto dello Sport arena, until 1983. The club then played at the 11,200 seat PalaLottomatica arena, from 1983 to 2011, except between 2000 and 2003, when the arena was undergoing extensive renovation work.[10]

After the club down scaled its operations costs, due to reduced funds, Virtus found the operating costs of the PalaLottomatica to be prohibitive, and decided to avoid playing in the larger arena. So from 2011 to 2018, it returned to the Palazzetto dello Sport, even playing games their during the 2013 Italian LBA Finals.[11]

In June 9, 2018, Virtus Roma reached a new deal with All Events SpA, the operator of PalaLottomatica, to play at the arena during the Serie A2 2018–19 season.[12]

Banners of Virtus Roma

Total titles: 6

The following table shows the records from the season 1977–78 in all competitions:

Season	Tier	League	Pos.	Postseason	Italian Cup	Supercup	Europe		Worldwide
1977–78	3	Serie B	4	Promoted	–	–	–	–	–	–
1978–79	2	Serie A2	5	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1979–80	2	Serie A2	3	Promoted	–	–	–	–	–	–
1980–81	1	Serie A	10	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1981–82	1	Serie A	10	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1982–83	1	Serie A	1	Champions	–	–	Korać Cup	Top 16	–	–
1983–84	1	Serie A	9	–	Quarterfinalist	–	Euroleague	Champions	–	–
1984–85	1	Serie A	1	Quarterfinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	Euroleague	Top 6	Intercontinental Cup	Champions
1985–86	1	Serie A	10	Quarterfinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	Korać Cup	Champions	Intercontinental Cup	8
1986–87	1	Serie A	8	Top 12	Top 32	–	–	–	–	–
1987–88	1	Serie A	10	Quarterfinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	–	–	–	–
1988–89	1	Serie A	12	–	Top 32	–	–	–	–	–
1989–90	1	Serie A	8	Quarterfinalist	Finalist	–	–	–	–	–
1990–91	1	Serie A	4	Semifinalist	Top 16	–	–	–	–	–
1991–92	1	Serie A	6	Semifinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	Korać Cup	Champions	–	–
1992–93	1	Serie A	12	–	Top 16	–	Korać Cup	Finalist	–	–
1993–94	1	Serie A	15	–	Top 32	–	–	–	–	–
1994–95	1	Serie A	8	Quarterfinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	–	–	–	–
1995–96	1	Serie A	6	Quarterfinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	–	–	–	–
1996–97	1	Serie A	6	Quarterfinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	Korać Cup	Quarterfinalist	–	–
1997–98	1	Serie A	8	Quarterfinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	Korać Cup	Semifinalist	–	–
1998–99	1	Serie A	6	Quarterfinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	Korać Cup	Top 16	–	–
1999–00	1	Serie A	6	Top 14	Quarterfinalist	–	Korać Cup	Quarterfinalist	–	–
2000–01	1	Serie A	5	Quarterfinalist	Semifinalist	Champions	–	–	–	–
2001–02	1	Serie A	8	Quarterfinalist	–	–	–	–	–	–
2002–03	1	Serie A	2	Semifinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	–	–	–	–
2003–04	1	Serie A	7	Quarterfinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	Euroleague	Regular season	–	–
2004–05	1	Serie A	6	Semifinalist	Semifinalist	–	–	–	–	–
2005–06	1	Serie A	6	Semifinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	Eurocup	Quarterfinalist	–	–
2006–07	1	Serie A	4	Semifinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	Euroleague	Top 16	–	–
2007–08	1	Serie A	2	Finalist	Quarterfinalist	–	Euroleague	Top 16	–	–
2008–09	1	Serie A	2	Quarterfinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	Euroleague	Top 16	–	–
2009–10	1	Serie A	7	Semifinalist	–	–	Euroleague	Regular season	–	–
2010–11	1	Serie A	9	–	–	–	Euroleague	Top 16	–	–
2011–12	1	Serie A	13	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2012–13	1	Serie A	3	Finalist	Semifinalist	–	–	–	–	–
2013–14	1	Serie A	6	Semifinalist	Quarterfinalist	–	Eurocup	Regular season	–	–
2014–15	1	Serie A	10	Demoted	–	–	Eurocup	Top 16	–	–
2015–16	2	Serie A2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

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

• Virtus Aurelia (no sponsorship, 1960–61 until 1971–72)
• Banco di Roma (1972–73 until 1987–88)
• Phonola Roma (1988–89)
• Il Messaggero Roma (1989–90 until 1991–92)
• Virtus Roma (no sponsorship, 1992–93)
• Burghy Roma (1993–94)
• Teorematour Roma (1994–95)
• Nuova Tirrena Roma (1995–96)
• Telemarket Roma (1996–97)
• Calze Pompea Roma (1997–98 until 1998–99)
• Aeroporti di Roma Virtus (1999–00 until 2000–01)
• Würth Roma (2001–02)
• Lottomatica Roma (2002–03 until 2010–11)
• Acea Roma (2011–12 until 2015–16)
• UniCusano Roma (2016–17 until 2017–18)
• Virtus Roma (no sponsorship, 2018–19 to present)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pallacanestro Virtus Roma.

• Serie A Historical Results (in Italian) Retrieved 18 July 2015
• Eurobasket.com Team Profile