Ettore Messina bids farewell to Olimpia after seven years

Ettore Messina and Olimpia Milano part ways. The coach himself announced his departure from the Milan-based club during the EuroLeague board meeting. Messina, who joined the team in 2019, is leaving Olimpia after seven years. This was reported by ANSA.

Last November, he had stepped down as head coach but remained as president of basketball operations for the Milan-based club. During the Messina era, Olimpia won 10 trophies, including 4 league titles. The former coach’s contract was set to expire in 2026, and in recent weeks he had been linked to Paul Matiasic’s new Roma team.

The final chapter of his Milanese adventure ended on a triumphant note: Messina helped build the team that won the Treble in the 2025–2026 season, claiming the Super Cup, the Italian Cup, and the league title. The Scudetto came with a 72-86 victory in Game 4 on the road against Reyer Venezia, which secured Olimpia’s 32nd title in its history. In his post-game remarks, Coach Peppe Poeta paid tribute to his predecessor: “Being part of the first treble in Olimpia Milano’s history is a great source of satisfaction, which I share with Ettore Messina, who built the team and won the Super Cup. I will be forever grateful to him.”

As for Matiasic’s project in Rome, the situation still appears to be evolving. The California-based attorney, who had identified Messina as the ideal candidate to lead the new Rome-based club, recently resigned as president of Pallacanestro Trieste, selling his shares to a U.S. investment fund. Meanwhile, his group is reportedly considering acquiring the sports franchise of Germani Brescia to relocate the club to Rome, with the Extraordinary Federal Council set to rule on the matter in the coming hours.