Cantù (Como), Jan. 20 (LaPresse) – Walter De Raffaele is the new head coach of Acqua San Bernardo Pallacanestro Cantù, with whom he has signed a contract through the end of the 2026-27 season, the Lombardy club announced in a statement.
After a career as a point guard, during which he played for teams including Libertas Livorno, Pistoia, and Aurora Desio, De Raffaele began his coaching journey as an assistant at Montecatini. From 2000 to 2004, he served as assistant coach at Basket Livorno in Serie A, eventually taking over from Luca Banchi as head coach. After a stint in Reggio Calabria, he dropped a division and signed with Casalpusterlengo, where he stayed for two seasons and won a Serie B Italian Cup. From 2008 to 2010 he coached Pavia in A2, then remained in the same division with Verona.
Starting in the 2011-12 season, he joined the technical staff of Reyer Venezia, working alongside Andrea Mazzon, Zare Markovski, and Carlo Recalcati. In February 2016, he succeeded Recalcati as head coach, beginning a long and successful period that ended in 2023, during which he led Venezia to two Scudetti (2016-17 and 2018-19), the Italian Cup in 2020, and a FIBA Europe Cup in the 2017-18 season. From December 2023 until the end of the 2024-25 season, he coached Tortona, leading the Piedmontese team in Serie A and the Basketball Champions League.