FC Bayern Basketball is happy about continuity at the central position of its team: Head coach Andrea Trinchieri has extended his contract with the German Cup winner and EuroLeague quarterfinalist by two more years until summer 2023. The 52-year-old Italian joined the Munich-based team a year ago and unexpectedly led the revamped squad to the EuroLeague playoffs as the first German team ever in a generally inspiring 2020/2021 season. Shortly thereafter he led them to the third Cup victory in the club's history and, most recently, to the BBL final.
"The team did a great job in the past season and this performance clearly bears the signature of Andrea Trinchieri. That is why I am very pleased and happy that we have been able to retain our successful coach for another two years," said club president Herbert Hainer after the talks were concluded. "We are convinced that, together with him, we will succeed in achieving our medium-term objective by making inroads into the European top flight and will also be able to successfully compete for titles on a national level again."
"An incomparable chemistry on and off the court".
General Manager Marko Pesic added: "Andrea led our team through a very difficult season last season with great success and together they created an incomparable chemistry on and off the court. But this almost perfect year should only be the beginning. I am happy that we will now take the next step in our development together."
Trinchieri is currently at the EuroLeague coaches meeting in Barcelona, he said: "I'm just happy to return soon! Next season will be a huge challenge for all of us, but hopefully we will have the fans back in the arena, that should give us a big boost. It's clear that I'd love to have every player from last season back, but we all know that's going to be very hard to do."
90 competitive games, an unexpected debut and a title
Trinchieri's Italian compatriot, sporting director Daniele Baiesi, expressed his confidence: "When we introduced Andrea a year ago, I called him one of the best three coaches in Europe. Some people wondered about that, but I think last season confirmed my assessment. Because Andrea has taken our team to heights that seemed unattainable a year ago."
„"His work and that of his staff have been exceptional, so we are very proud to continue our development together."”
Sport director Daniele Baiesi
Under the charismatic Milanese, Bayern produced positive headlines right from the start, especially in the EuroLeague. For the first time ever, they celebrated road victories in Tel Aviv, at Fenerbahce Istanbul, and accomplished the feat of winning both games against the eventual EuroLeague finalists, winners Efes Istanbul and FC Barcelona. In the regular season, the Munich team, an astounding fifth in the standigns, managed 21 wins, a record for a German team; in the playoffs against Milan, they forced a fifth game falling back 0-2 and ultimately failed to reach the Final Four by one shot.
In the Bundesliga, the FCBB, which finished fourth in the main round, ultimately had to pay tribute in the playoff final against Berlin (1-3) due in part to the tremendous depletion caused by 90 competitive games and a thinned-out rotation. Prior to that, the Munich team had knocked out first-place Ludwigsburg in the semifinals (3-1) and celebrated the title at home in the Audi Dome in the final against rival Alba (85-79) in the Top Four for the German Cup after two dramatic and passionate duels.