Wheelchair basketball: Volpi Rosse Menarini look to young talent for the new season

The eleven players who will compete in the Italian Serie A and EuroCup have been presented in Florence

FLORENCE, Italy, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Just a few days remain before the opening tip-off for Volpi Rosse Menarini. For the 2026/27 season, eleven athletes have joined the wheelchair basketball team supported by the Menarini Group, ready to compete in both the Italian Serie A championship and the EuroCup.

With players from the United States, Brazil, Sweden and England, alongside Italy, the team coached by Daniele Riva and Antonio Calamai once again features an international line-up. Captain Luciano Felipe Da Silva will be joined by Riccardo Innocenti, Francesco Marotta, Andrea Papi, Erika Scrivo, Ludvig Sjöström and Matteo Veloce, who were already his teammates on the court last season. Four new signings complete the roster: Lorenzo Bassoli, Isaiah Johnson, Olle Svensson and Ben Leitch. In the 2023/24 season, Leitch played for Menarini Joventut Badalona, the wheelchair basketball team based in the Spanish city just outside Barcelona. The club is another Paralympic organization supported by the Menarini Group as part of its commitment to promoting inclusion through sport, beyond Italy's borders.

The season tips off on Saturday, October 24, at 3:30 p.m. in Florence. Volpi Rosse Menarini will open their campaign in front of their home crowd. The 2026/27 Italian Serie A will feature ten teams, in what promises to be a competitive season that will help prepare the Florence side for the international EuroCup, scheduled for March 11–14, 2027.

Founded in 2005, Volpi Rosse Menarini has grown into an organization where sport provides opportunities for personal growth and independence. The team has been supported since 2011 by the Menarini Group, its title sponsor, which shares and supports its values.

"Our company and Volpi Rosse Menarini share a natural affinity based on common principles - said Lucia and Alberto Giovanni Aleotti, shareholders and members of the Menarini Board - The determination and passion this team displays in competition have forged a strong bond with our Group over the years. As the new season approaches, we are delighted to turn our long-standing friendship into concrete support and enthusiastic encouragement. We wish Volpi Rosse Menarini the very best of luck!"

Alongside their competitive activities, Volpi Rosse Menarini also promotes the culture of inclusion in schools.

The Menarini Group, with headquarters in Florence, is present in 140 countries worldwide to date, with €4.88 billion in consolidated turnover and more than 17,000 employees. Menarini's products are present in the most important treatment areas, including those of cardiometabolic, oncology, gastroenterology and pneumology. Through its commitment in R&D and high quality manufacturing activities, Menarini continuously contributes to patients' health worldwide, maintaining the highest quality standards. www.menarini.com