Olimpia Milano, Ettore Messina: “This scudetto is for the ownership.”
Ettore Messina’s words after winning the scudetto
Ettore Messina commented in a press conference on the decisive victory over Virtus Bologna in Game 7, which was worth the 30th championship for Olimpia Milano. “This scudetto, the back to back, we owe them to an ownership that, even in the darkest moments, supported us with positivity, never getting anxious,” he began in the press conference. “Mr. Armani and Dell’Orco had a very important weight. Then it is for a group of players where, each of them, had a thousand reasons to be dissatisfied with minutes or injuries, but in the end they always found the strength to put these moments aside and think about the team. The proof is tonight’s game, where everyone helped us and had useful moments. Then we owe it to a staff of competent and capable people, both technical and in the offices. We are enormously grateful to the fans for what they gave us, not only today, but also in difficult moments. It is always a wonderful satisfaction. Very few would have thought that a team would be able to win the four home games, even I had many doubts. Instead, performance of great cohesion, throwing ourselves on every loose ball. And all the loose balls we caught. We did a little bit of what we did in Game 5, we didn’t wait for them.”
“It’s not like we do this to win against someone. When I was younger I had the anxiety of revenge, now we are in a world where so many happen that I don’t have the desire and motivation to show them who said or wrote something. I don’t read, otherwise I would be hurt. I am happy for my wife, my children, my family, the club. I am too happy for them and for the audience. In a year like this the highest spectator averages ever, making a very poor first part of the Euroleague. I’m overjoyed,” added the coach of the Red and White.
“Let’s talk about it once and for all. It doesn’t work here that last year we win and Armani does an interview and says what he said and the next year we lose and everything changes. I know for a fact that the last result is not what makes the decision. At most it is me not feeling up to it. My contract situation is very clear for now, the future, both on the field and in front of the desk. Here you don’t decide with your gut and that’s the only reason I came. There was a time when my theme was ‘if you feel it is appropriate to make a change, just let Mr. Armani tell me and there is no financial problem. ‘ We’ll meet again in a couple of months and try to win another scudetto and make the Euroleague playoffs,” Messina concluded.
