Ergin Ataman denied rumors about a potential investment in Fortitudo Bologna / News - Basketnews.com

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Last week a report from the Italian newspaper 'La Repubblica' mentioned the possibility that Anadolu Efes head coach Ergin Ataman might have become a new investor in Italian club Fortitudo Bologna. Speaking to the Turkish media DHA, Ataman denied those rumors, saying that he has no connections with Fortitudo Bologna and no intention to invest in an Italian club.

"I do not know the president of Fortitudo Bologna, nor have we had any contact with the club. I have a half-season coaching background there but it was 15 years ago," said Ataman. "Other than that, I have no contact. I don’t know where they got this from. A friend from the Italian press wrote this. We also have something like this: if there was anything in the foreign press, they made news without calling me from the Turkish press, asking if there was one or not. Of course, this took off in digital media. I even wondered if someone took a job like this on my behalf".

"I’m a phone call away. After that news came out, a reporter from La Gazzetta Dello Sport called me and I said I don’t know such a person. If they had called me, I could have said there was no such thing.I made a statement about Turin. A month ago, after the team did not qualify for the first division, we transferred our shares with my partner in Italy. I have nothing to do with any team in Italy. This last year was an adventure for me. We bought the shares there, we sold them, neither profit nor loss, such a thing passed".

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