Messina on tough schedule: 'I wrote a letter, asking to find a solution' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix Credit ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix

With matches being postponed, players dealing with COVID-19 and injuries, basketball clubs have to deal with a schedule that is getting more difficult each day.

Points this season

45%74,0Points made:74,0Accuracy:45,2%Place in standings:13Record max:84Record min:63Best scorer:Shavon ShieldsTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

After securing a much-needed win against Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade in the EuroLeague yesterday, AX Emporio Armani Exchange head coach Ettore Messina emphasized the toughness of the current schedule.

"Last season, in the middle of the pandemic, I wrote a public letter, asking the top decision-makers in Europe to sit together and try to find a common solution," Messina said after the game.

"The main point was to find a solution for the schedule because many players were suffering injuries and the quality of the games was going down," the legendary coach continued.

In the end, Messina, who's sometimes famously called the basketball professor, hopes that all parties can resolve the situation: "Everyone got mad. I don't know the solution but I hope that in the coming future there'll be the will to sit at a table and find a solution."

"The reality is the presence of many teams in the domestic leagues, in EuroLeague and EuroCup, and many national teams games too, so it's impossible to find new dates for the games," Messina concluded.

Milan have lost Shavon Shields and Konstantinos Mitoglou to long-term injuries this season. The team currently sits 3rd in the EuroLeague standings with 15 wins and 6 losses. The Italian club welcomes Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Thursday to finish off the EuroLeague double-week.

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