The 2025/26 season opens an exciting new chapter for Volpi Rosse Menarini, the Florence-based wheelchair basketball team that has long stood as a shining example of inclusion and sportsmanship. Founded in 2005 and backed by Menarini as title sponsor since 2011, the team has grown into a cornerstone of the local community and a beacon for those who view sport as a path to independence and belonging.
Coming off a fifth-place finish in Serie A and a bronze medal at Eurocup3 last season, the squad is entering the new campaign with fresh faces and renewed ambition. «Our sights are set on the Eurocup in Amsterdam», states Andrea Papi, one of this year’s new signings. «Every single day, we push each other to get better».
President Ivano Nuti shares the same vision: «This year, we’ve deliberately recruited players with strong development potential to lay a solid foundation for the years ahead. In Serie A, we want to build on what we achieved last season. As for Europe, we’re fully focused on the March Eurocup, dreaming of lifting the trophy at the quarter-finals in the Netherlands».
The refreshed ten-player squad made its official debut at a press conference in Florence on 24 November. Coaches Antonino Savio Favano and Antonio Calamai head the technical staff, while a tireless network of volunteers and professionals ensures the smooth running of day-to-day operations, managing everything from equipment upkeep to training facilities.
The team’s dedication doesn’t stop at the final whistle. Working with Athletes in Action Italy, players attend weekly mental coaching sessions designed to hone concentration and optimise energy levels – essential when navigating the twin demands of the domestic season and continental tournaments.
Not just a Team: A Family
What truly sets Volpi Rosse Menarini apart goes deeper than wins and losses. The club’s mission reaches beyond trophies to encompass the personal growth and well-being of every player.
Matteo Veloce, one of the squad’s youngest members, has experienced this first-hand: «We’re training hard, and the atmosphere in the locker room is electric, everyone brings their absolute best. I’ve found people here who have my back, on the court and in life».
Fair play lies at the very core of what the team stands for. As Papi explains: «It all starts with respect:
for your teammates, your opponents, the game. We learn from each other every day, particularly through our different disabilities. The court becomes a classroom, and there’s always something new to take away».
For Florence, having such a team is a genuine asset. Sports Councillor Letizia Perini explains: «Not every city is lucky enough to have a club like Volpi Rosse
Menarini. It takes the right facilities, the right equipment, and Florence is fortunate to have both. With Menarini’s backing, the team has flourished. This means any local resident with mobility challenges who can’t pursue other sports has a real opportunity to get involved here».
Beyond competition, the team runs educational initiatives in schools, including Oltre l’Ostacolo (Beyond the Obstacle) and Movimento in Allegria (Movement with Joy). These programmes engage students and teachers alike in exploring themes of diversity, respect and teamwork.
The Menarini Group’s commitment to sport doesn’t end in Florence. The company also supports Menarini Joventut in Badalona, near Barcelona, a Spanish team that shares the same values and goals within the wheelchair basketball movement.
Lucia and Alberto Giovanni Aleotti, shareholders and Board members at Menarini, have been passionate supporters from the start: «Volpi Rosse Menarini and our Group are like communicating vessels, constantly exchanging the values we hold dear. This team has always embodied the determination to keep improving and the confidence to look ahead. Forza Volpi Rosse Menarini!»
The 2025/26 Squad
- BAUCHE Frédéric
- DA SILVA Luciano Felipe (Captain)
- IRAGORRI ALCONADA Xabier
- MAROTTA Francesco
- OUJEDID Bilal
- PAPI Andrea
- PAUKKERI Sini
- SILVA FERREIRA Carlos Anderson
- SJÖSTRÖM Ludvig
- VELOCE Matteo