Farewell to Germani Brescia: Matiasic’s new Roma is in the Eurocup
Germani Brescia is no more. Even before the official announcement from the Federal Council scheduled for Friday afternoon, it has become certain that Pallacanestro Brescia has come to an end and that its sports franchise has been transferred to Rome.
The ECA has in fact announced the list of teams registered for the upcoming EuroCup, which includes not only Roma Basketball—led by Luka Doncic’s consortium—but also Paul Matiasic’s Maxima Roma, admitted via a wild card. After FIBA denied admission to the Champions League, Matiasic—having reached an agreement with Mauro Ferrari to acquire Pallacanestro Brescia—requested and obtained the wild card for the EuroCup.
A statement from the FIP is expected in the coming hours, which will officially bring an end to the Leonessa’s 17-year history. Brescia’s basketball program will start anew in the lower divisions: efforts are already underway to save the city’s basketball.
Matiasic’s Roma team will thus find itself operating on the opposite bank of the Tiber from the Roma Basketball Club SPQR, backed by the Nelson-Doncic consortium, which was officially presented on Thursday at the Campidoglio in the presence of the Los Angeles Lakers NBA star. The latter project has already taken its first concrete steps in the transfer market, announcing the signing of Nico Mannion, a point guard born in 2001 who is coming off two seasons with Olimpia Milano, where he won the Scudetto, the Coppa Italia, and the Italian Super Cup. On the coaching front for Matiasic’s new Rome-based team, Ettore Messina’s name has been circulating persistently in recent weeks as the ideal candidate to lead the project: the former Olimpia coach has just announced his departure from Milan.
For Brescia, this marks the end of a cycle that began over a decade ago: ten consecutive seasons in the top flight, one Coppa Italia title, and a Scudetto final reached last season represent the sporting legacy of a team that, until just a few months ago, appeared rock-solid.
