Olimpia Milano at a crossroads in the EuroLeague; meanwhile, a new name emerges
Put the crushing loss to Real Madrid behind them quickly and bounce back immediately: that’s the goal for Olimpia Milano, which faces a tough EuroLeague matchup against Dubai on Thursday night at the Unipol Forum. For Peppe Poeta’s team, this is already a very important game at a stage of the season where results have not lived up to pre-season expectations.
Aware of the current difficulties, Poeta has clearly identified the main issue to be resolved: “For us, right now, it’s about playing with intensity and consistency for all 40 minutes. Beyond any technical or tactical discussion, what we’ve lacked so far has been consistency throughout the games.”
They’ll be facing one of the most ambitious teams in the tournament. After making its EuroLeague debut last season, Dubai has raised its game even further with a top-tier roster overhaul and the arrival of Javi Pascual as head coach. The roster features players of the highest international caliber, such as Thomas Walkup, Elie Okobo, and Toko Shengelia, who have joined established players like Moses Wright, Mfiondu Kabengele, and Dwayne Bacon.
Dubai arrives in Milan with a record of three wins in its first five European games this season and with high morale following its convincing victory in Vitoria. These numbers confirm the competitiveness of a team built to play a leading role. Past results also call for caution from the Scarpette Rosse: last season, in fact, Dubai prevailed in both matchups against Olimpia, winning 99-92 at home and also defeating them in Milan by a score of 96-78.
This is precisely why the matchup at the Forum carries particular significance. Another loss would risk fueling increasingly serious concerns within the club, with Peppe Poeta’s position inevitably under scrutiny following a difficult start to the season in terms of both results and performance.
Among the names linked to Olimpia in the event of a coaching change, that of Ioannis Sfairopoulos—a highly experienced figure already familiar with the EuroLeague scene—has been circulating persistently in recent days. In the last few hours, however, another scenario appears to have begun taking shape.
Paolo Galbiati’s dismissal by Baskonia has, in fact, put one of the most highly regarded Italian coaches of recent years back on the market. The coach from Vimercate, who worked in Olimpia Milano’s youth system between 2010 and 2016, is very familiar with the red-and-white organization and could be a viable option to consider should the situation take a turn for the worse.
The game against Dubai, therefore, represents much more than just a regular-season matchup. In an increasingly competitive EuroLeague, Olimpia cannot afford to lose any more ground, and an immediate response is expected from the entire Olimpia organization.
