“The Lost Tapes”, powered by Stoiximan, with Italian sensation Claudio Coldebella!

Posted by dio

On 10/03/2023

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“The Lost Tapes”, powered by Stoiximan, are back once again with Italian sensation Claudio Coldebella!
Coldebella sits down with Vassilis Skountis to talk about getting involved in soccer and basketball early in his career all while practicing in outside playgrounds in Italy, the importance of coaches at all levels, the impact of Giannis Ioannidis while with AEK B.C., the true madness of PAOK fans and his experience playing at the top level for years, the challenges he faced, and the lessons he learned along the way… He also shares insights into his training, his approach to teamwork and leadership, and the strategies he employed to stay at the top of his game even after finishing his career and transitioning to a managerial position.

Watch the full interview here:

Playing as a point guard mainly, Claudio Coldebella won three Italian LBA titles, a Greek League Cup and a silver medal at the 1997 EuroBasket with the Italian National team.
The Veneto born Italian started his career with local club Basket Mestre of the Italian Serie A2, staying for two years before moving to another A2 squad, Aurora Desio, where he posted 11.8 points and 2.3 steals in the 1988–1989 season. He quickly caught the eye of top tier LBA team Virtus Bologna, who signed him in 1989, winning three consecutive Serie A titles between 1993 and 1995 together with the FIBA Saporta Cup, playing for 7 years before transferring to the Greek Basket League in 1996, and AEK B.C. of Athens. With the Athenian club he reached the 1998 EuroLeague Final, losing the European elite competition match up to former club Virtus and then switched teams in 1998, joining PAOK B.C. of Thessaloniki, helping the club win the Greek Cup in 1999 while also playing in the league’s All Star Game. He returned to Italy, joining Olimpia Milano, which he captained from 2003 to 2006, the year he ended his career. After retiring, he accepted the offer to become assistant coach of the team, under Sasha Djordjevic, but in the meantime, the idea of developing a managerial career intrigued him, leading him to attend courses in “Sports Management & Event Management” and eventually making his debut as the General Manager of Pepsi Caserta in the 2009-2010 season.
The following year he moved to Benetton Treviso, where he held the same managerial role, while also becoming the team’s Vice President before moving as the general manager of the newly founded Nuova Lega Nazionale Pallacanestro, (LNP). In 2016 he signed with Pallacanestro Varese, while, since 2017, he has also been the vice president ASSI, the association of managers of the Italian Sport System founded in 2016 by a group of accredited sports business professionals, with the aim of promoting the culture and recognition of managerial skills. In the summer of 2018, Coldebella terminated his contract with Pallacanestro Varese, moving on to UNICS Kazan, helping lead the team to the EuroLeague after reaching the final of the Eurocup.
As a member of the Italian national team he played in the 1993 and 1995 EuroBasket and reached the final of the tournament in 1997, earning a silver medal.
He also played for Italy in the 1993 Mediterranean Games (winning gold) and the 1994 Goodwill Games, where Italy beat the United States (composed of college players, including Damon Stoudamire).