Olimpia Loses Again; Poeta: “There’s No Confidence Right Now—I’ll Try Everything”

Olimpia Milano suffered its fifth straight loss in the EuroLeague; Barcelona won relatively easily at the Forum in Assago, and the Milanese crowd booed the team’s performance.

After the game, Coach Peppe Poeta didn’t beat around the bush during the press conference: “The game was very clear-cut. Their physicality in the first two quarters gave them 11 offensive rebounds, and it’s hard to compete on equal footing like that. In the second half, they made substitutions across the board, and we weren’t able to execute our plays. We stagnated; we took the wrong approach.”

The team is struggling to build intensity and is making too many mistakes: “I’m trying everything—I’m making faster substitutions. Right now, there’s also a lack of confidence, which is really weighing us down in the EuroLeague. We’ll get fired up one minute and then suddenly lose steam.”

“It’s not a problem with individual players; it’s a problem with the whole team. The fans’ disappointment? I understand their frustration—after four years without the playoffs and this start to the season—but I can’t dwell on that; I have to focus on doing my best within the team.”