Ario Costa-Ettore Messina, harsh clash

The words of Ario Costa

Back-and-forth on the Milan-Pesaro axis.

Vuelle president Ario Costa had spoken this way about the Olimpia-Virtus duopoly: “It hurts so much. So reduced, what interest does the championship create for others? Winning a few games you can, competing really never. And people go to the court to see that.”

Ettore Messina replied, “I struggle to comment on a bizarre opinion like this. It seems to me that organizations like Tortona, Brescia, Venice, Sassari, Varese and others show that there is no need to worry about a possible duopoly. On the contrary, with their choices and commitment they have raised the level of the A Series. It seems to me that Costa has remained in the days of the coin that hit Meneghin in the 1989 semifinals.”

The reply, again by Ario Costa, was not long in coming: “Regarding the statements made in the interview with Repubblica on Thursday, May 18, regarding the Milan/Bologna duopoly, President Ario Costa clarifies, “I expressed a personal thought that can be shared or not shared, but without any offense towards the people and companies mentioned. I find very questionable the statements of Mr. Ettore Messina reported today in the Gazzetta dello Sport, especially when he refers to the bad coin episode that occurred in the playoff semifinal of the 1988/1989 season. My statements may be more or less agreeable, but it is totally unacceptable to offend a club like VL and a city like Pesaro that boast a unique fan base in Italy.”