Ettore Messina praises Milan's roster, takes responsibility for letting Fontecchio go / News - Basketnews.com

Ettore Messina spoke during an event in Milan, where he admitted that he was mistaken in not keeping Simone Fontecchio on the team in 2020. He also praised this season's Olimpia Milano roster, calling it the strongest and the deepest since he's been with the club.

Credit: imago images/Oryk HAIST-Scanpix Credit imago images/Oryk HAIST-Scanpix

Ettore Messina was a guest at the Seconday School of the Assago Forum, where he had a long conversation with media in attendance.

The Italian tactician weighed in on several issues, including the latest version of Olimpia Milan, Johannes Voigtmann's case, and Simone Fontecchio's growth.

Initially, Messina touched on Milan's goals which are no other than the championship title in Italy and the EuroLeague Final Four.

"I'm not the one who says it, but the story of Olimpia Milano. I could talk about good play and growth, but it would make people laugh. So, the goal is to win. Speaking of the Final Four, we will have to win the playoffs first: 8 places available out of 18 teams at the start, nothing is simple," Messina noted.

According to the experienced play-caller, watching the Italian players of Olimpia Milano join the national team for EuroBasket is "a great satisfaction, for them and also for us. Now, Stefano Tonut has arrived, to further raise the level. Obviously, there is the utmost attention, so that their players do not run into injuries or anything else. We too have the hope that everyone will return here in decent condition," Messina commented.

On the complex European calendar, a subject that Messina has repeatedly referred to in the past, the Italian coach said that if everyone doesn't sit around a table, "ready to give up on something, we will always have this problematic calendar. The problem of injuries is now tacky: regardless of the competitions in which it is used, the players go out on the court feeling tired. And when you play tired, you break."

Furthermore, Messina was asked about the 2022-23 Olimpia Milano roster, which he called "the strongest and the deepest since I've been in Milan."

"I hope it will allow us to take the next step. When there are injuries, there are some minutes for everyone and everyone's happy, also because those who are outside can recover and find the team in a good position. Problems arise when everyone is healthy and someone has to stay out and you have to be honest, clarifying the situation," the 62-year-old tactician stressed.

"When we will be able to have self-discipline, as it happened last year in the playoffs, we will overcome the injuries thanks to the depth and play it to the end. We have more athleticism. Players like Naz Mitrou-Long, Brandon Davies and Deshaun Thomas give us athleticism and also a lot of scoring ability," he continued.

One of the key moves for Milan this summer has been Sergio Rodriguez's replacement by Kevin Pangos. Messina clarified that the Spaniard "has always given us great joy, on and off the court. It was the sense of being able to win. If Kevin can create this feeling with the public, he will be able to do much better. It will not be easy".

While Milan have a deal in place withJohannes Voigtmann, the German forward is still under contract with CSKA Moscow. His case vividly resembles Kevin Pangos' with CSKA.

"We reached an agreement with the player, expected him to be free and now we are waiting for FIBA's decision regarding Voigtmann. We always look around us, like all EuroLeague clubs, but we are confident that this will be resolved positively. It doesn't seem normal to me, it's not fair to the players.

The same goes for Dinos Mitoglou, who - despite his serious mistake- has the right to a sentence."

Simone Fontecchio is making head turn whenever he steps on the court for Italy in preparation and official games. The Italian forward, who played the last two season in Germany withj ALBA Berlin and in Spain with Cazoo Baskonia, had been a member of Milan's squad up until Ettore Messina took over the Italian powerhouse in the summer of 2020.

"No, I did not expect this growth," the coach admitted.

"He made a huge leap. Nicolo Melli had to go to Bamberg to become Nicolo Melli, just like Simone Fontecchio had to go to Alba Berlin to become Simone Fontecchio. Obviously, he hasn't been helped enough in his path here, and I'm one of those to blame for it.

When we talked in 2020, I didn't think I could give him more than 5-10 minutes, since we had Vlado Micov and MarShon Brooks. Maybe I should have given less minutes to Micov or Brooks and send Simone Fontecchio on the court. I thought I was acting in his interest by telling him that he wouldn't play more. He chose Berlin and exploded," Messina concluded.

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