Rai Announces Paul Matiasic’s Resignation
Paul Matiasic has resigned from his position as president of Pallacanestro Trieste. This was reported by TGR Rai Friuli Venezia Giulia, which stated that the red-and-white club will remain under the control of the Cotogna group, from which Matiasic—the majority shareholder—has since stepped back.
The California-based attorney has reportedly sold his shares to a U.S. fund which, together with the current shareholders, now controls 99% of the Trieste-based club.
Matiasic’s move is part of a broader context that has kept the entire Italian basketball world on the edge of its seat in recent weeks. The California-based attorney had in fact kept open the option of transferring Trieste’s sports franchise to Rome as part of a Cotogna Sports Group project to expand into the capital. At the same time, according to reports in *La Gazzetta dello Sport*, the group was considering using the Germani Brescia franchise for the same purpose, with a formal request to transfer the Lombardy-based club to Rome reportedly due to be filed in the past few hours. However, regulations do not allow a single owner to control two clubs in the same league: this is precisely why the possibility of selling Trieste to Richard De Meo—the club’s former owner and currently a partner of Matiasic himself—had gained traction.
The matter had already attracted the attention of regional authorities. The governor of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Massimiliano Fedriga, had expressed a desire to clarify the situation, stating: “We want to have a clear picture and understand what will happen. I think we can find a solution that meets everyone’s needs.” This stance echoed the grassroots mobilization of the “biancorossi” fans, who took to the streets with posters in various neighborhoods of the city and launched an online petition that gathered thousands of signatures, with the slogan “This can’t all end” becoming the symbol of resistance in Trieste.
Meanwhile, Pallacanestro Trieste is reportedly set to finalize its application to join the upcoming Serie A championship in the coming hours, despite the ongoing issue regarding the Palasport, which has been at the center of recent tensions with the City of Trieste.
Regarding the sports facility, the club had already faced a delicate situation in recent weeks, announcing its decision not to participate in the bidding process for the PalaRubini concession. The club explained the decision in an official statement: “The decision was dictated exclusively by the economic and operational conditions set forth in the call for bids, and was made with respect for the municipal administration, which was informed in advance and with whom we hope to maintain an ongoing dialogue.” The club also clarified that it is “actively seeking support from both sponsors and new investors, which is essential to finalize its registration and enable participation in the Serie A championship,” and announced that it had requested an urgent meeting with local authorities.
