After the first intensive training sessions at the Audi Dome at home, the Bayern Basketball team is starting the true pre-season preparation with a twelve-day trip abroad: Head coach Andrea Trinchieri's team is leaving on Thursday for Cagliari in Sardinia, where the German Cup winners will play their first test games as part of a tournament. The first opponent on Friday night (21:00) will be local, Italian European Cup team Dinamo Sassari, with the second opponent on Saturday night (18:30 or 21:00) either Spanish EuroLeague rival Baskonia Vítoria-Gasteiz or Italian first division team, Napoli Basket.
Bayern's two games will be shown live via a Youtube stream, each of which will be available on the FCBB's Internet home page: fcbayernbasketball.com
In Cagliari, a spectator capacity of 35 percent is currently permitted and one can expect in the "PalaPirastu" just under 1,000 fans at a time. Local host team Sassari, Italian double winners in 2015, has two very athletic frontcourt players in center talent Ousmane Diop (21/, 6ft7) and Christian Mekowulu (Nigeria, 6ft8). US winger Jason Burnell is considered a top scorer, and the squad once again includes former Berlin guard David Logan, now 38. Baskonia will be reunited with playmaker Wade Baldwin, who moved to the Basque Country.
After these first few exhibition games, the Munich team will travel on from the Mediterranean island to northern Italy - for the traditional training camp in the exclusive FCBB-Holiday Region Bruneck. During their stay at the foot of the Kronplatz, Bayern will have another test game;this one in Bolzano, against Italian second division team Verona, with on-loan FCBB youngster Sasha Grant. The final destination of the trip is then the Slovenian capital Ljubljana, where the fourth test at EuroCup team KK Cedevita Olimpija is scheduled.
The season starts for Bayern on September 26 with a BBL home game against Ulm.