Olimpia Milano, Hines renews. Messina: “Now the third star”. Virtus Bologna another dig

The celebrations for Olimpia Milano continue, following the scudetto 29 won against Virtus Bologna. Outside the Assago Forum a group of diehards gathered to embrace the champions one last time and the already torrid climate becomes incandescent with the announcement that Kyle Hines will still stay in Milan: “I’m very happy to stay here, it’s a great city and there is a group that is a lot of fun to play with. ” We sing, dance, celebrate. “Messina I want the Euroleague!”. “Eh … me too”. The euphoria will last until August 20, the date of the meeting for next season, but with the same goal, “pinning the third star” in the words of the coach, and regaining the Euroleague Final Four.

Messina ahead

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“There is some Milan-centricity I think … Joking aside, it’s nice to finish the season as Italian champions, it’s a special day for everyone – attacks the coach -. Euroleague? It’s difficult to win together in the league. and in Europe. Due to our methods and budgets we will never be able to chase those 4-5 clubs that invest much more than us. Then maybe one day there will be our photo hanging in the offices together with the club icons, such as Rubini and Gamba “. But to those who ask him to stay at Olimpia forever, he replies: “Actually, it’s not long, I’m old. I won my first Scudetto 30 years ago and I didn’t even think about going beyond this three-year period, I thought about quitting. I like a lot with these guys and my wife doesn’t want me too much at home … “.

Bologna again

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First, however, a step back. After the decisive defeat in game-6, Virtus Bologna did not congratulate Olimpia and Milan, with GM Christos Stavropoulos, returns to the controversy of recent days: “Our rivalry today is worth that between Real Madrid and Barcelona or Olympiacos and Panathinaikos. A very high quality of play has been achieved, with very lively fans and very involved media. They won the Eurocup and we congratulated ourselves immediately. Then we heard strange things, chatter about the referees, unfortunate exits of their owner, accusations of Milan-centricity. We felt obliged to respond, they had exceeded the limits. At the end of everything for Milan there is basketball and the decisions we make are in the interest of the Italian league “.

Chacho what are you doing?

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The first choices concern the market, between separations and arrivals. Messina again: “We are trying to work to find those 2-3 elements to improve, we must replace Mitoglou who will almost certainly be disqualified for the doping affair and we are waiting for the decisions of Chacho Rodriguez who is very important for us. He, as well as a great player is a leader, if he leaves we will have to work out the separation a few days and look for a replacement with the same profile. ” Rodriguez, for his part, does not dissolve the reserve: “These three years have not been easy, everything has happened. My son was born here, we experienced the pandemic here … also for this reason Milan is my home. many things, I will soon make a decision “. The staff also changes: Pozzecco is the new blue coach and tomorrow he will start his adventure in Trieste. Esposito will be Menetti’s new assistant in Reggio Emilia. In his place comes Peppe Poeta, fresh from retirement.

Italian joy

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Among the most excited, the next day, there are Gigi Datome and Nicolò Melli, a piece of the blue block that allowed Olimpia to win the Scudetto. “Yesterday’s tears? I thought back to my career, to my father in the stands who had been negativized by Covid only in the morning. It was all very intense,” Datome said. “What a pain, winning in Italy is different – finally explains Melli – here after the Scudetto I can write to my friends who support other teams”. One thing is certain, in August they will still be together with Olimpia.