The Rome Derby Is Drawing Closer; Tension Runs High in Brescia

The capital is getting closer and closer to having a second team in Serie A. Alongside the Roma Basketball Club project—backed by Donnie Nelson and Luka Doncic, who will be in Rome tomorrow for a series of institutional and sponsor-related meetings, although the official presentation of the initiative is scheduled for a later date—a new initiative is taking shape that is set to reshape the city’s basketball landscape.

The project is led by the group headed by Paul Matiasic, the current owner of Trieste, who would, however, use the sports license of Pallacanestro Brescia to establish a presence in the capital. According to rumors reported by *La Gazzetta dello Sport*, the formal request to transfer the Lombardy-based club to Rome was expected to arrive in the past few hours or could be filed shortly. This process mirrors the one already undertaken in recent months with the application submitted to the Federation for the transfer of the Cremona club to Rome.

However, the regulations do not allow a single owner to control two clubs in the same league. Precisely for this reason, speculation has grown in recent days regarding a potential sale of Trieste to Richard De Meo, the club’s former owner and currently a partner of Matiasic himself.

In recent days, as rumors from all over Italy regarding a possible sale of Germani Brescia have multiplied, President Mauro Ferrari has chosen not to issue any statements. This unusual silence could signal the prelude to a new and profound change for the city’s leading basketball team—and it is creating significant tension.