Messina: The athletic factor has become extremely important in EuroLeague

Messina: "We kept the same important budget from last year, but we allocated it differently"

Olimpia Milano coach Ettore Messina speaks with *Il Corriere della Sera* on the eve of their LBA debut, scheduled for tomorrow at 12:00 in Trieste.

A market that has changed the face of the team.

“In some situations, we felt the need to make changes, while in others, the market conditions didn’t allow us to make different choices.
We wanted to give the team continuity for the coming years. We needed more athleticism because the EuroLeague is unforgiving. To the point where you sometimes have to ask yourself if it’s worth sacrificing a bit of basketball wisdom in favor of athleticism. Years ago, there was only one answer: whoever could pass, shoot, or dribble—perhaps a bit slower or less explosively—was certainly preferred. But for some years now, in the EuroLeague, the athletic factor has become extremely important.”

Budget

“We kept the same important budget from last year, but we allocated it differently. We have two top players like Shields and Mirotic, and there’s Nebo. The others have excellent contracts, but we managed to spread it across more players. Then, of course, in everyone’s mind, Bolmaro and Dimitrijevic are two gambles, two young guys who need to prove themselves. But their early signs are very encouraging.”

LBA

“There are two newly promoted teams that have invested a lot and have great ambitions. However, in the end, the value and experience of Bologna, Venezia, Brescia, Sassari, and the usual ones will come through.”

EuroLeague.

“Three teams—Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, and Real Madrid—are almost certain contenders for the Final Four, given their investments. Behind them, all have legitimate aspirations to reach the playoffs.”