The revival of basketball in Siena. President Francesco Frati speaks

Erick Green bends his knees and raises his right hand to head height. He waits a second. Then another, and yet another. When he releases the shot, the segmented ball hits the orange rim and bounces away from the basket. It is a miss that has no bearing on the final result, but one of enormous symbolic significance. Because it is 27 June 2014 and Mens Sana Siena have just lost Game 7 of the league final against Olimpia Milano. What follows that day’s defeat on the court, however, is much more than a mere loss. It is a crushing defeat that brings an end to the golden age of one of the most successful teams of the new millennium. Less than two weeks later, the court declares the club bankrupt. Mens Sana started afresh in Serie B, immediately secured promotion to A2 and then went into administration again in 2019. And this second collapse plunged the club into an even deeper abyss. A team capable of winning eight league titles and reaching four EuroLeague Final Fours found itself in Promozione, the highest open-entry league.

The road to recovery is full of twists and turns. In 2023, the club was promoted to Serie C and appointed Francesco Frati, former rector of the University of Siena, as its president. Last June came promotion to Serie B Nazionale. Mens Sana returned to a national league seven years after its last appearance in A2. It was a victory that felt like a liberation. Because rebuilding a historic club is not just about trying to get back to the top, but about rebuilding the very foundations that seemed to have been destroyed. 

“We have been fortunate enough to be able to rely on what I would call ‘human capital’,” says President Frati, “first and foremost on the volunteers who, since 2019, have made do by working in their spare time to help the club grow. Then there are the Sienese businesses, those in the local area, who have placed their trust in us through sponsorship and barter arrangements. These range from the energy supplier and the large retail chain to the restaurant, the tobacconist and the hairdresser who, simply for the pleasure of having their name associated with Mens Sana, contribute even small sums. And they join forces with an ambitious Title Sponsor like us: Note di Siena.” 

This is a key aspect of the consolidation project. Because the club’s future no longer depends on a single tycoon, but on around eighty small and medium-sized enterprises. “They saw the basketball team as a city treasure that deserved to be saved,” continues Frati, “but alongside them, the fans played a vital role. When Siena was winning, it was followed by thousands of people, and they certainly haven’t just vanished into thin air. At our first home match in the Promozione league, there were 820 supporters – incredible figures for that division. And now, at big matches, we attract over 2,500 spectators, a figure that could be even higher were it not for restrictions on the stadium’s capacity.” 

There were certainly some dark times. Because after the first bankruptcy, which resulted in the revocation of two league titles, two Coppa Italia trophies and one Supercoppa, it seemed as though an indelible stain had appeared on Mens Sana’s shirts. “Sometimes we’d read negative comments; some people on social media would write ‘Thieves!’, but I think the second bankruptcy was even harder to bear,” explains the president. “Some outstanding debts raised doubts amongst the sponsors we were approaching. But when you speak to players, directors and supporters, respect for Mens Sana’s history always prevails.” 

Last season marked a turning point. This was partly because Mens Sana’s successful business model attracted the interest of a number of Texan investors who, having acquired 25 per cent of the club in 2025, increased their stake to 75 per cent last July. “We set out with the idea of having a season to find our feet,” says Frati, “but a real bond formed within the squad that saw us achieve results beyond expectations. In the winter, just as we were battling for first and second place, there was a spate of injuries. Thanks also to Wibog, the American investment firm, we had extra funds to shore up the squad and go all out for promotion. The second bankruptcy had taught us a hard lesson,” continues the chairman, “back then a budget was invested without any certainty, whereas we’ve always walked only as far as our legs will carry us. No debts, no advances. We used the funds we had in the coffers. I like to say that we’ve always thought big, but always acted within our means.” 

A story of rebirth that is captivating a city currently undergoing a process of sporting provincialisation. It was not just Mens Sana that disbanded, but also the football team, which at the start of the millennium had spent nine seasons in Serie A. “In that golden age, there was a wealthy bank that had decided to link its name to that of the two teams,” concludes Frati, “but when Monte dei Paschi cut off the funding, both clubs went bankrupt. From then on, a different model was sought, aimed at involving small investors who wanted to feel part of a revival project. That is how the team truly became the city’s heritage.”