Ettore Messina wants legal action against negative comments online / News - Basketnews.com

Ettore Messina suggested lawsuits should be sent to those people who initiate hatred and violence on the internet.

Credit: Savino Paolella/IPA/SIPA - Scanpix Credit Savino Paolella/IPA/SIPA - Scanpix

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan have had a rough start to the EuroLeague season so far, losing 9 games in a row throughout the last two months. The club is, however, on the way up now, and head coach Ettore Messina's confidence is slowly rising.

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But during a rough stretch early into the season, Messina noticed some bad tendencies on the internet.

In topics not related to basketball, he saw too much hatred and violence, so he addressed those issues publicly.

"The voice of the people, you said... No, [these are] noisy minorities presiding over keyboards on aggressive sites, the people you meet on the street are with you, and the few haters scream louder than them. It's up to those who do public work like mine to learn to live with it. And perhaps to send a couple of healthy lawsuits to those who instigate hatred," Messina sent a message talking with La Repubblica. "[A few are] already on the way."

Messina made headlines in the middle of the losing run when he announced that he might leave Milan stepping down from being both the head coach and the president of basketball operations.

Now, the veteran specialist admits it was a mishap.

"I have to admit that I made a mistake. After such a tough loss, the worst one in this season, there was a bad atmosphere and I felt down, so I said that I could have left the club if the situation didn't improve. It was a mistake," Messina told La Repubblica. "I wouldn't say something like that again now. Sometimes you learn that you can be inexperienced even if you're already 60 years old. If I can make a joke, I want to say that I'm sorry for all those coaches that tried to send their resumes here."

The two Italian teams in the EuroLeague -- Virtus Segafredo Bologna and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan -- will meet on January 2nd in the Italian Lega Basket. Talking about the derby, Messina remembered a story from 2020 when he was accused of influencing the stoppage of the Italian league despite other clubs proposing different scenarios of continuing the championship.

Messina has coached Virtus before and probably made a name for himself with the club 20+ years ago after winning the EuroLeague and being one of the more dominant teams throughout his coaching period there. The veteran coach now feels it's unfair to receive the criticism he does from Virtus fans.

"On a sporting level, I like it, good rivalries are good for both clubs, and having two Italian teams in the EuroLeague is a result to be happy about. On a personal level, it also arouses bitterness in me, because in Bologna rumors have been allowed to spread about a power that I supposedly have, like stopping the championships due to Covid. A climate of hatred has arisen that I never thought I deserved after twenty wonderful years of professional and non-professional life with that club and in that city," Messina commented.

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