Tofas appoints Cancellieri to lead team heading to 2026–2027 season

By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net

A few hours after the conclusion of the 2025–26 campaign for Dolomiti Energia Trento, with a Quarterfinals exit in the Playoffs 2026 of Italy’s LBA UnipolSai on Tuesday evening, Turkish club Tofas officially announced the hiring of Massimo Cancellieri as their new head coach for the upcoming 2026–2027 season on Wednesday.

The 53-year-old Italian strategist moved to Bursa following a highly productive year in his home country, where he guided his side to the BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals and successfully steered them through a fierce domestic postseason push. Cancellieri’s decision to depart Trento had been communicated to the club’s front office as early as February, allowing for a transparent transition that culminated in his prompt arrival at the helm of the Tofas squad.

Renowned across the continent for instilling a high-energy, physically demanding defensive identity and a disciplined tactical philosophy, the Teramo native brings a wealth of top-tier experience to the Turkiye Sigorta Basketbol Super Ligi. His resume includes a foundational six-year tenure as an assistant coach for EuroLeague powerhouse Olimpia Milano, followed by successful head coaching stints abroad with French clubs Limoges CSP and SIG Strasbourg. Most recently, his international stock soared during the 2024–2025 season when he led Greek side PAOK to the FIBA Europe Cup Finals.

As Cancellieri steps into his new role, he faces the immediate task of structuring a roster tailored to his trademark gritty playing style. However, the full scope of the team’s upcoming campaign remains partially undefined, as a possible participation in a European club competition for Tofas remains unclear at the moment, after finishing tenth in the 2024-25 BSL Regular Season, with the club competing between the Basketball Champions League and Europe Cup since 2020.

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