BasketUniverso had the opportunity, thanks to the collaboration with the Virtus Bologna press office, which we thank, to conduct an exclusive interview with Alessandro Pajola. During the interview, we discussed his journey with the VuNere so far, prospects for the upcoming Coppa Italia Final Eight, his relationship with coach Luca Banchi, and the impact of his arrival. Additionally, we touched on the EuroBasket 2025 qualifications and the Pre-Olympics Tournament with the Italian National Team. Pajola also emphasized the importance of Milos Teodosic in his professional journey, both on and off the court.
So far, Virtus has played a nearly perfect season. We all know that the secret of this Bologna is the group. But tell us more. What does it mean that the group is the secret of this Virtus?
We are a collective. And by collective, I mean a way of being, a thought, a philosophy, both in the gym and outside of it. Coach Banchi has given us the greatest push from this point of view, invited us to help each other both in offense and defense, as well as in training.
Coppa Italia will start soon, the second goal of the season after the Supercoppa Italia. Are you, as they say in these cases, geared up to win it?
We are geared up, but also a bit battered [laugh, ndr]. With these rhythms, it’s always challenging to train together. You recover one guy, but you lose another. Certainly, we are better now than 2-3 weeks ago when we were missing Mickey, Shengelia, and Polonara wasn’t at his best. We want to do well, without a doubt, and we have to work game by game because every match in Turin will be a final.
Coach Luca Banchi recently criticized the very tight schedule of commitments because it does not benefit the players. What do you think?
I have to say it’s very demanding and stressful. I’m trying to get used to it after a couple of years in EuroLeague and a couple of years in EuroCup. Really, it’s not easy because when there’s a double round, you play 4 games in 7 days, but that’s what it is, we have to accept it. We can’t control it. We have to try to bring out the best of us in every training we do, not being so many.
About Banchi, what difference did he make with his arrival?
The impulse that Coach Banchi gave us was important, but nothing to say against Coach Scariolo; he’s a great coach who brought titles to my trophy cabinet and Virtus Bologna’s. It was a strange moment for us, but together with Coach Banchi, we reacted immediately, doing simple but important things. From the first day with Banchi, there has always been a positive atmosphere. Then winning helps you feel better, but really, his impulse of simplicity and calm helped us a lot!
You made your Serie A debut at 16. In a short time, you became an indispensable player for both Bologna and the National Team. Can we say you’ve had a perfect journey, which is why you’ve become a symbol for many young basketball players dreaming of the future? Can you tell us what your secret was to progress so quickly? And above all, tell us what you had to give up during adolescence to get where you are.
I don’t have a magic formula. First of all, I feel like saying that I’ve always been myself. I’ve always had fun, and I’ve continued to carry that forward over the years. Being in the gym and in the locker room makes me feel good, even working hard sometimes makes me feel good. Then I grew up together with Virtus and Segafredo, which brought really strong players here. I had to make some sacrifices, especially in terms of friendships and school, but I did it because I knew where I wanted to get.
Four years of school from the master Teodosic. What did Milos leave in your technical and character baggage?
Every time I was amazed by his talent and his magic. We’re talking about a truly astonishing player. I didn’t try to imitate him. Otherwise, I would have thrown some basketballs into the stands or something like that, but I admired him, enjoyed him up close, and stole some things from him, especially his way of being. Milos is a beautiful human being who does magic on the court but is very humble outside of it. In those years, he tried to learn a lot about Italy: he’s a super curious person, always ready to ask a thousand questions about history and traditions.
Often he is thought of as a robot. But is he also like this outside the court, or is he like Andrea Pirlo who didn’t show emotions on the field and in the locker room was the most playful of all?
No, Milos jokes, laughs, plays with us. Outside the court, he’s nice, helpful, humble. He’s not someone who doesn’t consider you just because you’re a twenty-year-old rookie, not at all. Then on the court, he tries to keep his emotions inside, even if he can’t always do it because he’s human. I like it because he tries to stay focused, without getting too lost in celebrations and protests. With that face, he always stays on point, beautifully focused, and it’s an integral part of his being a player.
Now you are a cornerstone of the Italian National Team, too. This summer, talking to Melli and Datome on Afternoon Podcast, you joked saying that you are almost a veteran, even if you are only 24. Italians have been dreaming of a medal in international competitions for several years. In your opinion, how far are we from this goal?
In the last 3 competitions played we reached the Quarterfinals, and in 2 out of 3, apart from the United States, we got eliminated in close games. So I would say we miss 2 games, even though each competition is different from the previous one. This summer, we will play the Pre-Olympics Tournament and we must start from there to aim for a medal. I can certainly say that in recent years we have achieved excellent results, considering that we hadn’t qualified for the World Cup and the Olympics for many years.
In May 2023, you renewed the contract with Bologna until 2026. In your future plans, is there the idea, one day, to have new experiences, maybe even outside of Italy? Do you think this could help you get to the NBA as happened with Fontecchio?
The NBA the dream of anyone who starts playing basketball, but I consider myself lucky because I’ve never set too many goals. I’ve always worked day by day, and this thing has always paid off. Now I’m here, I have to do it for many more years and I can’t imagine anything else. I’ll think about it when it’s time. I always focus on today, on the present, to improve as a player and as a team, and whoever lives will see how the future plays out. I can certainly say that today I’m very happy in Bologna and I want to continue improving here.
Do you consider yourself the best defender in Europe? If not, tell us who you think is, and what do you still need to improve to become one?
I don’t consider myself the best defender in Europe, and I need to improve on many things, especially from a physical perspective. Another aspect where I need to grow is mentally: sometimes I make a wrong read, and I leave my team 5 against 4, and that’s not good. The best defender in Europe? There are a lot of great defenders, it’s difficult to choose. I’m fortunate because every day I admire Bryant Dunston. Every practice is a defensive clinic, not to mention what he can do in a game. Surely experience matters, but despite that, he’s still physically incredible. Cordinier is a super defender, too. He is an offensive leader, but he is not often praised for his defensive abilities. However, he is truly an all-around player because he can score and also win games on the defensive end. Really strong, with incredible physicality, and very skilled tactically. I am really lucky to have him on my team.
We thank once again Alessandro Pajola and Virtus Bologna for the availability shown in the creation of this exclusive content.
Click here to read the interview in italian.
