Pianigiani: I hope to go to right bench when we'll play against Siena

Simone Pianigiani released a long interview reported by Il Corriere di Siena about his future with Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul and the exhibition game the Turkish team will play against 'his' Mens Sana Siena on September 12.

"I really hope I will go to the right bench when we'll play against Siena. It won't be easy for me to enter in the other locker room. I still have to deal with the thought that I won't return to Siena. During the last two years, considering I was working with the National Team, I used to call everyday to Mens Sana asking for updates to the team and the roster. Over the last week, a couple of times I was close to call Siena instead of Fenerbahce. I think I will fully realize that I am the coach of Fenerbahce when we'll play against Mens Sana on September. I have been working a lot by phone with Fenerbahce beacuse I am with the National Team. I have been in Istanbul just few days, but enough to realize how big is the enthusiasm around Fenerbahce. How big is the sense of belonging of the supporters. I am in a club with 22 millions of fans. Fenerbahce's games are always broadacasted on TV because supporters are all around Turkey. There is a strong feeling and I like it. At the same tame the passion is in the DNA of people from Siena. About Fenerbahce's roster: there is a strong core of Turkish players. And this is very important because in TBL we have to play with at least two Turkish guys on the court at the same moment. I need to get used to that and I hope I won't make mistakes. We had to renew the foreigners. Fenerbahce's management liked the way Siena played in Europe and having in roster players you know it is very important to shorten their integration in the new club. My ties with Ferdinando Minucci have been always very strong. We knew that we were going to part ways at the end of the season. David Andersen and I left Siena without any buyout. Different was the case of McCalebb. Siena and Fenerbahce reached an agreement and the deal was made".