Mens Sana Siena
| Basket Mens Sana 1871 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Leagues | Serie A2 | |||
| Founded | 1934 | |||
| History |
Mens Sana in Corpore Sano 1871 (1934–present) |
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| Arena | Palasport Mens Sana | |||
| Capacity | 6,000 | |||
| Location | Siena, Italy | |||
| Team colors | Green and White |
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| President | Lorenzo Marruganti | |||
| Head coach | Alessandro Ramagli | |||
| Championships |
8 Italian Leagues 5 Italian Cups 7 Italian Supercups 1 FIBA Saporta Cup |
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| Retired numbers | 3 (5, 13, 20) | |||
| Website | menssana1871.it | |||
| Uniforms | ||||
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Mens Sana 1871 Basket is an Italian professional basketball club based in Siena. It is a section of the sports club Polisportiva Mens Sana, founded in 1871.
Under the name Montepaschi Siena, derived from sponsor Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the club was a dominant presence in the Italian Serie A, winning 7 titles in a row from 2006/2007 to 2012/2013 whilst also challenging for titles in Europe. After financial problems caused the club to go bankrupt in 2014, it moved down to the fourth division. In the 2015–16 season it plays in the second division.
For past club sponsorship names, see the list below.
The parent organisation, Associazione Ginnastica Senese "Mens Sana in Corpore Sano 1871", was formed on 16 April 1871 by university students. In the beginning of the 19th century the gymnastics club became a multi-sports club (Italian: Polisportiva) by adding other sports under its wing.
Basketball was first practiced by the club in May 1907 when - at the Venice Gymnastics competition - teacher Ida Nomi Pesciolini led a women's team in a basketball demonstration. It's claimed this was the first time the game - invented in 1891 - was played in Italy, with Nomi discovering the sport whilst in the United Kingdom and then translating the rules in Italian.
The official basketball section of the club was established in 1934. However, the club and the organisation as a whole had limited activities until the end of the Second World War in 1945. After that date, basketball was played again, at first by students from the Piccolomini high school.
On 5 March 1967, Mens Sana played against city rival Costone for a place in the second division Serie B, with the former winning 64–63. In 1973, having lost the previous year, Siena beat Rieti 80–66 to reach the top tier Serie A for the first time. During the 1974–75 season, Sapori Siena finished fifth in the league thanks to a slow-paced style combined with zone defense as twin towers Carl Johnson and Enrico Bovone dominated the paint.
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