Paul Matiasic has one less option
Among the projects currently energizing Rome’s basketball scene is the possibility of a “Roma 2,” an initiative linked to Paul Matiasic, owner of Pallacanestro Trieste and recently appointed to lead the management of the PalaEur. The American attorney’s intentions, however, remain somewhat unclear: on the one hand, he has reportedly already identified Ettore Messina as the ideal candidate to lead the team; on the other hand, he is still searching for a sports franchise from which to start anew.
Among the possibilities that have emerged in recent weeks was the potential involvement of Virtus Roma 1960, but the failure to advance to Serie A2—which fell through after the loss in the playoff against Vigevano—and the entry of The Bright Management Italia Srl into the ownership structure with a 40% stake make this solution decidedly difficult to pursue.
Meanwhile, the possibility of a move to Brescia is gaining traction again. According to a report in the daily newspaper BresciaOggi, Germani has indicated the PalaEur as its home arena in the documentation submitted to the Basketball Champions League, a competition for which the Lombardy-based club has applied. This detail—which remains to be verified—inevitably brings Matiasic’s name back into the picture and fuels further speculation about the possible use of the Roman arena. It should be noted that the San Francisco-based attorney had already submitted a €6 million offer in recent months to acquire the Germani franchise, an offer promptly denied by owner Mauro Ferrari.
Things didn’t go any better with Scafati: the Campania-based club, newly promoted to Serie A, rejected Matiasic’s advances outright, just as his attempts regarding Trapani had previously fallen through. This obstacle course, however, does not seem to have dampened the American entrepreneur’s determination; in the meantime, he has consolidated his position in the capital by acquiring Stella Azzurra’s youth academy and securing an option on the PalaEur, moves that confirm the structural soundness of the project despite the difficulties in securing a team license.
