Ettore Messina sorry for Luca Banchi

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Messina’s words

Olimpia vs. Virtus è a game that never needs to be explained, as it has spawned the last four Scudetto finals and has a history behind it that begins as far back as the ’50s when the two most nationally winningest teams competed for series championships. They both come to it fresh off a championship loss, Olimpia to Tortona, Virtus to Brescia.

The EuroLeague dross has left its mark already a few times and created traffic at the top of the Serie A standings. Plus, this contest comes after two rounds of EuroLeague and both teams played on Friday, so they will go on court less than 48 hours after the last effort, in fair conditions. Olimpia has high morale: it won the two games played at the Unipol Forum in the EuroLeague, scoring 193 points in two games and putting the standings back in order on the eve of two away games of the highest possible degree of difficulty, to Barcelona and Athens-Panathinaikos. Virtus is coming from a turbulent week because it lost two games and changed the coach, replacing Luca Banchi with Dusko Ivanovic, who has a long history against Ettore Messina at the EuroLeague level (they were protagonists of the first ever final in 2001), although for bureaucratic reasons he will not be able to go on the bench immediately. Tight in the grip of the hectic EuroLeague schedule, it might seem like a minor classic but the truth; è is that both teams for different reasons need a win and will give everything. Virtus for morale and becauseé comes from a negative series; Olimpia becauseé in the league has already lost three times and to improve the ranking needs a success. Bologna looks full, so Ivanovic will have toà choose the first turnover among the seven available foreigners. Milan has Diego Flaccadori back and Stefano Tonut should make it but not yet the other items on the injured list namely Josh Nebo and Leandro Bolmaro. There have already been two previous official matches this year, one in Bologna and another in Milan (leaving out the Crete tournament). Olimpia has always won but for example in the Supercoppa it did so after a long comeback and an overtime, with a different team because both Josh Nebo and Leandro Bolmaro were present. The difficulties of the match are evident and fatigue will probably affect the quality of the game between two teams that have crossed arms since 2020/21 to date 39 times in official matches with a balance that practically balanced, 20-19 in favor of Olimpia.

“Before talking about the game I would like to say that I am sorry not to face once more; Luca Banchi, an excellent coach and a person for whom I have great respect – said Ettore Messina on the eve -. As everywhere  he has coached I believe that also at Virtus he has done an excellent job. I also want to welcome to Italy Dusko Ivanovic who è always been a great opponent and a friend. The match è difficult to imagine how it will be between two teams that have spent a lot technically and emotionally during the week and will have to draw on all available resources”. 

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