Varese basketball, after controversy comes fine: insults to referees

There was no shortage of controversy and no shortage of work for the Sports Judge of the men’s basketball A Series at the end of the Masnago match, which saw Dinamo Sassari succumb by a narrow margin to Openjobmetis Varese. The home club was fined Euro 1,333.00 for frequent collective offenses by the public against the referees. The white-and-red club also received a warning due to irregularities in mandatory equipment: the game clock siren was in fact inaudible.

There was no shortage of controversy on the court either. Coach Veljko Mrsic, at the end of the challenge that ended 91-90 in favor of the hosts, pointed his finger at the referee’s direction in the decisive action: “Today, in the decisive action, a made-up foul was called on Iroegbu. I believe that, in these circumstances, one should let the players determine the outcome of the game.” The Dinamo coach then put the episode in a broader context: “Episodes happened in the final that had an impact, as was the case in the last few games. After the game with Cantù we had received an apology from the referees’ commissioner for a clear contact that was not sanctioned in our last possession, and there was something similar against Treviso as well.”

Mrsic, however, acknowledged his own responsibility and complimented the opponents: “We cannot afford to lose a ball on a full-court pass in such a delicate moment. Congratulations to Varese for the important victory. In the first half we were not at the required level, while in the second half we started to play with more quality.” The defeat further complicates the Sardinians’ salvation race: “We are fully involved in the salvation struggle and in the last three days, with a difficult schedule against the top three in the standings, we will have to give everything to try to bring home as many results as possible.”

It should be emphasized, moreover, that Varese’s is not a first in terms of disciplinary sanctions: Openjobmetis had already been fined by the Giudice Sportivo on the day of March 30, when it was fined Euro 1,333.00 again for collective and frequent offenses directed at the referees. Dinamo Sassari itself, on that occasion, had also ended up in the crosshairs of the Sporting Judge with a much heavier sanction: Euro 2,666.00 for collective and frequent offenses and threats against the referees.

In Sassari’s house, meanwhile, the affair related to Achille Polonara is also holding court. 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 to shed light on his situation: “I am not training in Sassari simply for reasons of travel given my last upcoming medical examinations. My goal is to return as soon as possible.” Polonara also clarified that he is currently 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.”