Alessandro Gentile Makes an Obscene Gesture After Being Ejected: Pino Sacripanti Faces Disappointment and Possible Consequences
Alessandro Gentile’s ejection and his gesture toward the Avellino fans marked Urania Milano’s defeat, as they lost 93-85 in overtime at the PalaDelMauro. A finish that turned a hard-fought game into a night to forget for the Milanese team, which was forced to finish the match without its captain.
Urania coach Pino Sacripanti was asked at a press conference to comment on the incident, including regarding possible internal disciplinary measures, but he preferred not to preempt any decisions. “I haven’t spoken with either the player or the ownership,” he said. “Now we’re heading home; clearly, there’s not much to say,” the coach added, postponing any decision until a later date.
Alessandro Gentile leaves the court making a series of obscene gestures: the video
The coach’s disappointment, however, is evident, especially given how Gentile’s night ended. “He’d played an excellent game, even from a competitive standpoint,” said Sacripanti. “I don’t want to wash my hands of it, but at that moment I was talking to the referees to try to understand the foul they’d called: I honestly didn’t see it. The ball was over there; he was far away. I’m not saying this to make excuses; I’m just saying I didn’t see it.”
The coach said he sought confirmation about the call that sparked the uproar from others on the sidelines as well: “I’ll be honest: I asked the others too; I was talking to them, and they told me there had been contact or a shove, something like that. And that’s what set off everything that happened.”
Sacripanti admitted he didn’t immediately grasp the gravity of the incident: “I hadn’t even realized he’d been ejected. At that moment, it hadn’t dawned on me, because I’d only seen the technical foul. I only saw the end, when he went into the tunnel, but by then it was all over. I’m so sorry.”
Alessandro Gentile leaves the court making a series of obscene gestures: the video
Gentile, who scored 17 points on 7-for-17 shooting, had been ejected in overtime after picking up an unsportsmanlike foul in the second quarter and a technical foul for protesting in overtime. The combination of the two penalties resulted in his ejection, followed by him raising his middle finger toward the stands—a gesture that could also lead to disciplinary action.
On the court, Urania had shown grit. After trailing 34–23 at the end of the first quarter and falling behind 44–27, the Milanese team managed to close the gap to 51–49 at halftime, led by Gentile, Morse, and Galli. In the second half, a three-pointer by Italiano gave the visitors their first lead of the night at 52-51, in a closely contested match that remained tight until the very end.
Avellino had taken a 67-63 lead after thirty minutes, but Urania turned the game around again in the final quarter, even building a five-point lead. Francis came to the rescue for the home team, first with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two points with 50 seconds left on the clock, and then with the basket that tied the game at 82-82 with half a minute remaining in regulation.
In overtime, Gentile’s ejection proved costly, leaving Urania without one of its key offensive players. Avellino took advantage to seize control of the game and close it out 93-85, securing their eighth win of the season. Francis led all scorers with 26 points, followed by Dell’Agnello with 14, Fresno with 13, and Mollura with 12. For Urania, however, Gentile’s 17 points and Morse’s 15 were not enough to avoid another loss, leaving the Milanese team with just one league win.
