Former basketball player Oscar Schmidt returned to Italy and was honored last Thursday (2) in Caserta, in the south of the country.
The Brazilian, nicknamed “Mão Santa”, was welcomed at Caserta City Hall and was moved during the ceremony, which was attended by several local authorities and fans.
Schmidt is in Italy along with Boscia Tanjevic, Enzo Esposito and Giorgio Glouchkov, as they will all take part in the filming of “Scugnizzi per semper”, a documentary that will tell the story of the basketball team Juvecaserta.
“It was a fantastic few days here in Caserta. Many people decided to come to City Hall to greet me and once again show their affection. I lived some of the most beautiful and emotional moments of my life here and, for me, Caserta is the center of the world”, said the former player.
The biggest star in Brazilian basketball, Schmidt played for the Caserta club between 1982 and 1990, having won an Italian Cup and gaining historic access to the elite of the Italian Championship in the sport.
At its peak, Juvecaserta came close to winning the national league twice and participated in a decision in the extinct Cup Winners' Cup against Real Madrid, which was a kind of basketball Champions League.
As a form of tribute, Juvecaserta decided to retire the number 18 shirt, the number worn by the Brazilian idol during his time in Italy.
The bond between the former athlete and Italy is so strong that Schmidt is an honorary citizen of Caserta and is in the European country's basketball hall of fame.
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