If he could, he'd play tomorrow. "For now, I'm the national team's biggest fan at the European Championships, but I can't wait to return to Sassari to play in what I consider my home." Achille Polonara speaks from Valencia, where he has just completed his second round of chemotherapy for the myeloid leukemia he was diagnosed with during the Scudetto semifinals. The Scudetto, which Virtus Bologna won even without "Il pupazzo" or "Polonair" (two of his most frequently cited nicknames), dedicated to Achille.

Achille Polonara, a native of Ancona, who will turn 34 in November, has been forced out of action once again . Two years ago, he underwent surgery for testicular cancer, but returned to the field two months later and has started playing brilliantly again, with his exuberance and generosity, and that brash, enthralling personality that has won over fans everywhere he's played, even those who previously considered him a booable opponent.

It's happened everywhere: both in Italy, with Teramo, Varese, and Reggio Emilia (2015 Super Cup), Sassari (2019 European Cup), and then Bologna's Virtus team (2023 Super Cup and 2025 Scudetto); and in Europe, with Baskonia in Spain (2020 national title), Fenerbahce (2022 Turkish title), Anadolu Efes (2022 Turkish President's Cup), and Zalgiris Kaunas (2023 Lithuanian title and 2023 national cup). A winner.

Of all the stages, however, it is Sardinia that remains closest to his heart . And it is Dinamo Sassari that has shown the most human generosity, going beyond the sporting aspect and indulging the wishes of a boy who, after his games with the Banco di Sardegna jersey, had made his mark at the highest European levels.