Italy beats Slovenia 86-83 in basketball friendly in Celje

Italy's national basketball team defeated Slovenia 86-83 in a friendly match at the Zlatorog Arena in Celje. The win, Italy's second consecutive friendly victory after beating Croatia, concludes their mini preparation cycle for the third window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 qualification.

Stefano Tonut led the Italians with 18 points, followed by Tommaso Baldasso (16) and Nico Mannion (14). Amedeo Tessitori contributed 12 points. Coach Marco Ramondino praised the hard‑fought contest, noting the team's attitude and the need to limit lapses in the final days of training. The squad will return to Rome, continue preparations at the Olympic Training Centre, then travel to Reykjavik for the July 1 qualifier against Iceland and to Bologna for the July 5 game versus Lithuania.