Ettore Messina bluntly on his relationship with Virtus Bologna

Ettore Messina speaks out about his relationship with Virtus

Ettore Messina in an interview with Icaro TV and reported by “Bologna Sport News” spoke about the difficulties of the new championship and his past at Virtus Bologna.

The Olimpia Milano coach set the season goal: “My team is deeper: we have added shooting and presence under the basket with Davies. We have to be patient and lucky in not having injuries. The important thing is to qualify for the playoffs, because eight out of eighteen teams are few, then once you are there if you are well you can get to the Final Four. The big issue is qualifying for the playoffs.”

Messina then went on to talk about Virtus Bologna and his relationship with it, “Virtus in the top eight? In the Supercup game I saw Mickey, Lundberg and Cordinier who give very important athleticism in view of the HCL Euroleague. Bako also gave a very good performance. The relations at the political level with Black V are formal. Relations in the city when I go home are excellent. Relations with the fans are not great relations. I remember when I came back from the United States I had a warm welcome, as always. To justify the insults we can believe anything, that one has artifacted championships, that I did not accept Virtus’ proposal and betrayed it by going to Milan, and so much more. But there was never a Virtus proposal addressed to me. With Alberto Bucci I resumed the friendly relationship when I came back from Texas, and many times he told me that he would have liked it if I had come back to coach Virtus, but the conditions never materialized.”

Finally, a confession about his NBA experience: “I think daily about San Antonio, my colleagues, Popovich, and the players. Popovich is a beacon that I try to follow every day, with limitations that make me far from him. How he did things is a daily stimulus.”