Milan’s Curva says it is outraged: “We’re constantly being provoked by a Bologna fan”
The fallout continues following the EuroLeague derby that pitted Olimpia Milano against Virtus Bologna at the Forum in Assago—a game marked by tension both on and off the court, which was ultimately won in a nail-biter by Peppe Poeta’s red-and-whites. A statement from the most prominent faction of the Milan fanbase was released to present their account of what happened in the stands.
“La Curva del Milano expresses its utter outrage at the interpretation given by certain social media pages and news outlets regarding an incident that occurred during the game against Bologna. A reaction stemming from the constant provocations and gestures directed at the organized Milanese fanbase by a Bologna fan accompanied by his family—who, in our view, should not have been in a section traditionally reserved for the most active Milanese supporters—has been portrayed as an act of aggression to be condemned without any ifs or buts.”
“With this statement, we aim to set the record straight. While we agree that the reaction was excessive—and not in keeping with our usual way of supporting our team—it was an act driven by frustration over a provocation that should never have occurred. Our fan base consists of an association of clubs recognized by the Olimpia organization, which—out of respect for the ultras community—has distanced itself from any form of rivalry.”
After all, tension on the court had been anything but absent throughout the evening. With play stopped, Garrison Mathews and Daniel Hackett came into contact, grappling and shoving each other several times, forcing the referees to review the incident at length before calling a technical foul on both players. The situation did not end with the final buzzer: the two continued to exchange words from a distance even after the game had ended, further fueling the heated atmosphere of the derby.
From a strictly technical standpoint, the game ended 87–85 in favor of Olimpia thanks to Devon Hall’s game-winning shot at the buzzer, about which Coach Poeta spoke with great enthusiasm in the postgame interview: “I’ve been saying this since day one: he’s the kind of player every coach would want. He always has the right body language, plays three positions, and is a positive leader. We deliberately went to him. We’re very happy.” Mathews, who found himself unwittingly at the center of the incident with Hackett, had arrived in Milan over the summer as the successor to Armoni Brooks, following an NBA career with the Pacers.
