Venice routs Sassari: Neven Spahija has a wish for Veljko Mrsic

The Reyer Venezia continues its unblemished path on the road in calendar year 2026. In fact, also in Sassari came the victory for the orogranata, able to bend at PalaSerradimigni the Banco di Sardegna with the result of 79-98. A result of great importance for Neven Spahija, who extolled the performance of his team, focusing, however, also on Veljko Mrsic. A colleague, compatriot (they are both Croatian) and friend to whom he expressed all his sympathy for the difficulties in the standings of the Sardinian team.

“I am happy for the victory of Venice, my team. At the same time, however, I also feel sorry for my colleague Mrsic, who is going through a difficult situation,” Spahija said after the game. “Veljko, besides being my colleague, has been a friend for many years. I love him, I really hope that Sassari will find a way to get back to winning the games it needs to center salvation.”

“I want to congratulate my team, which played an excellent game,” Spahija added, however. “We controlled operations in 90 percent of the minutes on the court, and Venice’s numbers are extraordinary. Just look at 58 percent from the field, 42 percent from the arc, 22 assists and 44 rebounds. I’m proud of my players and staff, let’s hope to continue like this.” Then another thought on Sassari: “When we play like this, it is very difficult for anyone to find a way to beat us.”

The situation at home in Sassari is indeed as delicate as ever. The Sardinians find themselves embroiled in a tight salvation struggle, with a calendar that in the last days of the regular season has reserved prohibitive challenges precisely against the top teams in the standings, including Venice. Mrsic himself, in recent weeks, had not hidden the difficulty of the moment: “We are fully involved in the salvation struggle and will have to give everything to try to bring home as many results as possible.” Words that sound even heavier in the light of the loss cashed at PalaSerradimigni against a Reyer in great form.

Dinamo’s path to salvation has been dotted with unfortunate episodes and controversies. Just a week ago, in the 91-90 defeat on the court of Varese, Mrsic had harshly contested the refereeing direction in the decisive action: “In the decisive action, an invented foul was called on Iroegbu. I believe that, in these circumstances, one should let the players determine the outcome of the game.” The Croatian coach had then placed that episode in a broader context, recalling the apology he received from the referees’ commissioner after the game with Cantù and a similar episode against Treviso. A series of regrets that, added to the points left on the road, weigh enormously on the ranking of the Sardinians.

In addition to the salvation race, however, in Dinamo’s house, the reasons for great concern and tension also derive from the affair related to Achille Polonara. The long red-and-white player, struggling with a long road to recovery from acute myeloid leukemia diagnosed in 2025, broke his silence with a message posted on Instagram: “I’m not at training in Sassari simply for reasons of travel given my last upcoming medical visits. My goal is to return as soon as possible.” Polonara clarified that he is in Battipaglia, where the Avellino Basket club has provided him with a facility for individual training, concluding with a message of encouragement for his teammates: “Forza Dinamo Sassari: all together united for an important goal.”

In the Reyer household, meanwhile, the Sassari victory further consolidates the ranking position of the orogranata, fourth with 36 points (the same as Olimpia Milano) behind Brescia and Virtus Bologna paired at the top with 40. A roster that projects Venice stably in the top zone of the ranking, even if on the corporate front they are already looking carefully at the future: according to reports in the local press, the Venetian management is reportedly evaluating the profile of Luca Banchi, current coach of the Italian national team, as a possible successor to Spahija on the orogranata bench starting next season.