Melli: I am very happy to be back in Istanbul and Fenerbahçe

10/09/2024 19:52

Melli had previously defended the colors of Fenerbahce from 2017 to 2019

Nicolò Melli’s interview with Fenerbahce’s official TV channel.

His statements:

“I am very happy to be back. It has been 5 years, but it feels like much longer… I am very happy and excited to have received this opportunity from Fener. I really missed Istanbul. After the NBA, I went to Milan. The game when Fenerbahçe came to Milan was probably one of the toughest of my life… I can even speak on behalf of my wife. She feels the same, we missed Istanbul a lot. Even though we didn’t reach our goal in EuroLeague, those were fantastic years. Experiences are more important than results. I had great relationships with my teammates, the whole staff, and the coaches. I hope things go the same way from now on.”

His NBA experience:

“It was really great. The biggest misfortune was that it coincided with the Covid period, and that was a big problem. At the same time, after the coach change, things didn’t go very well, but in the end, I am grateful to have had such an experience; I got to meet the best athletes in the world.”

Melli expressed his happiness about working with coach Jasikevicius:

“Sarunas’s successes show what kind of coach he is. I am very lucky to work with him, and we will all see what happens both on and off the court.”

On the decision to return to Fenerbahçe:

“Of course, I talked about it with my wife first, because we have a little girl and our second is on the way. She has always supported me from the very beginning. As I said at the beginning of the interview, we missed Istanbul a lot. Then I talked to my manager and other family members, and when they all supported me, it was a very easy decision.”

On the preseason work so far:

“Everything is going well so far. We didn’t manage to do what we wanted in the first game, but I am sure we will get better every day. There are players who have been playing together for a long time, and other experienced ones who have just joined the team. All of Europe knows this organization… A museum was opened at Fenerbahçe Ülker Sports and Event Hall. It’s really a great place to show the history and successes of this club. It motivates all the players to be part of history, and that’s why I am so happy to be here.”

Finally, on his relationship with the Turkish club’s fans:

“They supported me a lot, and everyone was happy about my return. I am also very happy to be back in Istanbul and Fenerbahçe. I can’t wait to get back into that atmosphere with the yellow and navy blue…”.

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