Napoli wins, but Jasmin Repesa pays tribute to Rome: “It’s in my heart”
Maxima Roma got off to a rough start in Serie A, falling 75-94 at the PalaEur to Napoli Basket, led by former Virtus player Jasmin Repesa. The Croatian coach, in addition to praising his players (everyone who took the court scored) while also pointing out a few missteps, wanted to reiterate his deep affection for the capital.
“Rome is a city close to my heart, so I always return here with great pleasure. I also want to thank Mr. Toti and his family for the support they’ve always shown me during my years here,” Repesa said in his postgame comments. “We from Naples managed to win thanks to the physical and mental energy we brought to the court for all 40 minutes, and I’m very satisfied with that. However, we made a lot of mistakes, especially toward the end of the first half. We gave Maxima Roma 10 points for no reason. In basketball, there are no longer players capable of winning on their own; team chemistry makes all the difference. I’ve always said it, and I’ll always say it.”
Coach Matteo Cotelli, on the other hand, had bitter words to say, making no excuses after the loss: “They destroyed our game. We’re very disappointed because we really wanted to play well in front of such a large crowd. We weren’t ready; we couldn’t control the pace or limit our turnovers. I did like the reactions that allowed us to get back in the game, though—but we need to step it up. So many people from Rome came to the arena; everyone is especially disappointed because of that. We have a lot of work to do.”
The result is particularly painful given the context in which it occurred. The loss came on the 50th birthday of Francesco Totti, the club’s advisor responsible for fanbase development, who spent the day in Los Angeles, far from the capital. A few hours before kickoff, Roma’s legendary captain had expressed his full confidence in the project: “Don’t think that soccer is the only thing that matters to me—I’m a true sportsman. After 30 years in soccer, I understand the dynamics of the locker room; it’s normal, and it will be a pleasure for me to share my experience with the team. And if they invite me to the derby on October 11, I’ll be there. Then, if over time they win something important, they’ll have free rein.”
President Paul Matiasic had, in fact, clearly outlined the scope of Totti’s role: “He won’t pick the players, but he’ll grow the fan base in an authentic way. He has Rome in his veins and in his eyes,” he told *Corriere dello Sport*. This is anything but a symbolic role—it’s also designed to chip away at support for city rival BC Roma, with the October 11 derby at PalaEur already circled in red on the calendar. This matchup now takes on even greater significance, considering that the Giallorossi from the other side of the capital also opened the season with a loss, falling to Treviso 94–109 on Saturday.
