Veljko Mrsic berates Sassari: "We cannot continue like this"

The 79-98 at PalaSerradimigni particularly hurt Banco di Sardegna, bent by Reyer Venezia and anchored at 14 points in the Serie A standings (the same as Treviso, currently in third-last place). A knockout that Veljko Mrsic analyzed by emphasizing its calamities, in his opinion also to be attributed to the fear that is gripping Sassari in this very delicate final phase of the championship. And the coach of the Sardinian lineup called on his team to turn things around in view of an increasingly delicate end of the season.

“Seeing the performance against Venice, but also which will be Sassari’s next two opponents, surely the confidence cannot be maximum – admitted Mrsic -. I’m sorry, because in the last two away games we played it. But when performances like tonight’s come, we have to say we were never in the game, surely some confidence goes away. We are still alive, but we cannot continue like this. We need to change something, because losing is possible but playing so scared is not.”

“The last few losses on the road contributed to today’s performance against Venice,” Mrsic added. “Sassari has already shown it can play better, but we need to take the court with more energy. This is especially true for our point guards, although the best things came after Ceron’s position change. But it is essential to put more pressure on the ball defensively.”

There is no lack of self-criticism on Mrsic’s part for the performance against Venice. “I take all the responsibility myself,” said the Sassari coach.

From the beginning Venice was superior to us, there is nothing more to add. Ceron was the only one of ours to put in a level of energy appropriate to the importance of the game. The mental aspect probably affected us, as we conceded shots at the beginning that we usually take. We were too switched off.”

On the other side of the court, Reyer coach Neven Spahija extolled his team’s performance, while reserving words of sincere sympathy for his Croatian colleague and compatriot. “I am happy for the victory of Venice, my team. At the same time, however, I also feel sorry for my colleague Mrsic who is going through a difficult situation,” Spahija said. “Veljko, besides being my colleague, has been a friend for many years. I love him, I really hope that Sassari will find a way to get back to winning the games they need to center salvation.” Reyer’s numbers on the night at PalaSerradimigni speak for themselves: 58 percent from the field, 42 percent from beyond the arc, 22 assists and 44 rebounds, figures that made the Sardinian comeback virtually impossible.

This evening’s knockout is but the latest chapter in a black period for Dinamo, studded with regrets and refereeing controversies. Just a week ago, in the 91-90 defeat on the court of Varese, Mrsic had harshly criticized the refereeing direction in the decisive action: “In the decisive action, an invented foul was called on Iroegbu. I believe that, in these circumstances, one should let the players determine the outcome of the game.” The Croatian coach had then placed that episode in a broader context, recalling the apology he received from the referees’ commissioner after the game with Cantù and a similar episode against Treviso. A series of regrets that, added to the points left on the road, weighs enormously on the Sardinians’ standings.

In the meantime, the salvation struggle has been further inflamed with the result accrued this evening in Desio, where Cantù beat Varese 100-96, taking itself to 18 points in the standings. The Brianzoli thus extend their lead over Sassari and Treviso, making it even more urgent for the Sardinians to find a victory in the final days. Banco di Sardegna president Stefano Sardara himself had already lucidly photographed the danger in recent weeks: “Fear at the end of the game is the ugliest malaise a team can have. It happened with Reggio, again on Sunday, and this is something that is difficult to train and difficult to cure.” Words that resonate strongly after the opaque performance offered Sunday night against Reyer.