MILAN - Sergio Scariolo, head coach of basketball team Olimpia Milano since June 2011, watched the Nerazzurri training at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza this morning. Scariolo met the players, chatted with Claudio Ranieri and, as a huge Inter fan, was given a Nerazzurri shirt with his name on it by technical director Marco Branca.
Scariolo began in 1980 with mini-basketball before becoming assistant coach of the first team in Brescia and then at Victoria Libertas Pesaro. In 1985 he won the World Military Championship. In 1990 he led Pesaro to the Scudetto at the age of 29. In 1991 he joined Desio in the A2 Championship before moving back up to the top division with Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna in 1993. In 1997 he switched to Spain and Tau Victoria, where he won the Copa del Rey in 1999. That same year he was taken on by Real Madrid, whom he immediately led to the national title, working also as general manager. In November 2003 he signed a contract with Unicaja Malaga, winning the Copa del Rey (2005) and the Spanish championship (2006). At the end of 2008 he was chosen to coach Russian side BC Khimki and a few months later he also became coach of the Spanish national team, winning the 2009 and 2011 European Championships. He is currently coach of Olimpia Milano, with whom he has a contract until 2014.
