Ettore Messina: We and Mirotic were treated like EuroLeague rookie

This is how Ettore Messina commented on the game against Olympiacos:
“Congratulations to Olympiacos. We played a hard-fought game against a Final Four-caliber team, and that is the positive takeaway. Everyone will talk about the last possession, but there were many things we could have done better to win. We accept the result.”

The red-and-white coach then addressed the topic of officiating:
“I’ve been here for six years and have never talked about referees. In the game against Bayern, at one point they awarded possession to us, and Mirotic admitted to touching the ball, saving the German coach from using a challenge. Today, he was treated like a EuroLeague rookie before losing his composure, and we were treated like EuroLeague rookies as well.”

He then refused to elaborate further:
“I don’t feel like giving money to EuroLeague. It doesn’t deserve my money; I’d rather donate it to charity.”

On yet another game lost in the final moments:
“We lacked clarity, the ability to slow down the pace and take a moment when the ball becomes very heavy. That doesn’t come naturally to new teams, but we are working on it. It’s not just about offensive possessions but defensive ones as well. For some, these are youthful or inexperienced mistakes. We are working on them, and I am confident we will do better.”