A Blunt Attack on Olimpia Following Peppe Poeta’s Firing: “Left to Fend for Itself”

*Il Corriere della Sera* identifies the team’s transfer decisions, above all, as one of the reasons for the failure of Olimpia Milano’s coaching project, which led to Peppe Poeta’s dismissal. “It makes sense to fire a coach who, in Europe to date, has a record of one win (at the last second, in the derby against Virtus) and nine losses,” reads the newspaper based on Via Solferino. “It makes sense to shake up an environment in shock, with frightened players and a fan base that’s growing increasingly distant. What doesn’t make sense, for Olimpia, is failing to protect a young coach and leaving him to fend for himself with a team that’s a far cry from the one he would have wanted.”

The firing came the day after the team’s ninth EuroLeague loss, a 73-84 home defeat against Valencia, which left the red-and-whites in last place with a 1-9 record. Milan had turned the game around by dominating the second and third quarters, only to collapse in the closing minutes, giving up 33 points in the final 10 minutes. Poeta himself admitted: “Honestly, this is the fourth game in a row we’ve lost the same way. We were tied with three minutes left, and on the final possession of the game, we struggled to find the basket. That’s what’s been happening, and we need to fix it.”

The topic of the transfer market had already been a central focus in the days leading up to the game. Sports director Daniele Baiesi, in an interview with *La Gazzetta dello Sport*, took responsibility for building the roster: “The responsibility for building the team lies with me.” Baiesi had clarified that “no one has ever said no to the transfer market” and that changes are made only if “players who represent upgrades” are available. Following Devin Booker’s serious injury, the club was looking for a point guard and a big man, but with one obvious limitation: the non-EU visas available for use in Serie A had already been exhausted, and the only option was players with EU passports. Poeta had commented: “You know the profile—if there’s a perimeter player who can help—but I don’t handle that; logically, they’re the ones who bring me the profiles. I have full confidence in Baiesi and GM Christos Stavropoulos.”

Among the names linked to Milan were Cam Thomas, a former NBA player with Brooklyn and Milwaukee, who would have provided the scoring ability the red-and-white offense lacked (according to BasketNews, he reportedly asked for at least 3 million euros net per season), Lonnie Walker IV, and Daniel Theis of Maccabi Tel Aviv, whose club does not seem willing to let him go. According to Telenuovo, Olimpia then set its sights on Mike Tobey of Tezenis Verona to bolster the frontcourt: his Slovenian passport would resolve the issue of non-EU player slots.

The atmosphere surrounding the team had become extremely tense. After the home loss to Barcelona (81-89)—their fifth consecutive EuroLeague defeat—the Unipol Forum was filled with boos and chants of protest, with fans shouting “Enough, enough” as the team returned to the locker room. Following the loss to Valencia, fans took to social media to point the finger at management, particularly lamenting the departure of Armoni Brooks, who scored 16 points against his former teammates.

Now Olimpia is turning the page with Luca Banchi, who returns to Milan after having led the club from 2013 to 2015 and winning the 26th league title in 2014, under a contract valid through 2028. The Tuscan coach is also the head coach of the Italian national team and is expected to retain both roles. The exact timing of his arrival remains to be determined, due to scheduling conflicts between the EuroLeague game against Asvel on November 24 and the Italy-Turkey match at the PalaEur in Rome on November 26. In the meantime, Marco Ramondino will lead the team on an interim basis, starting with Sunday’s game against Trento. The players have sent messages of farewell to Poeta: Giampaolo Ricci wrote to him, “Thank you, friend,” while Ousmane Diop emphasized that “your value goes beyond any result.”