By Cesare Milanti/ info@eurohoops.net
It’s a game full of charm that brings back fond memories. At the same time, it’s a rivalry that has reemerged in recent years with legendary figures Ettore Messina and Sergio Scariolo facing each other on the respective benches.
On Wednesday night, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan will face Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 7 of the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. It’s the first game between the two Italian clubs on the continental stage in 25 years.
Both teams are currently out of the playoff zone with Milan riding in on a 3-3 record after a loss against Real Madrid and Virtus Bologna on a 2-4 record after losing at home against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 6.
Let’s take a look back at the five most-thrilling clashes between Milan and Virtus played on the former’s home floor:
Simac Milano 74-77 Granarolo Bologna – G3 1983/84 Serie A Finals
Milan and Bologna dominated the Italian basketball scene in the 1950s, ending the season in the first two positions eight times in that decade. But when the Italian League championship started to be awarded through playoff series, they faced each other only twice: in 1978/79, when Virtus won 2-0, and in 1983/84. In that season, the rivalry reached its peak.
Coach Dan Peterson and superstar big man Dino Meneghin led Milan and Virtus relied on Roberto Brunamonti and Renato Villalta. After splitting the first two encounters, Granarolo Bologna captured a 77-74 victory in Game 3 on the road to conquer its 10th Scudetto.
Stefanel Milano 67-59 Kinder Bologna – G1 1996/97 EuroLeague Round of 16
After finishing atop Group E in the second round of the 1996/97 FIBA EuroLeague regular season against powerhouses such as ALBA Berlin, Olympiacos, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and CSKA Moscow, Stefanel Milano would face an opponent that qualified from fourth place in a corresponding group.
And guess what? Kinder Bologna from Group H would be that team. In Game 1, Coach Franco Marcelletti’s Milan was led by Gregor Fucka’s 23 points (photo) to win 67-59 and get a 1-0 advantage in the series.
Stefanel Milano 78-76 Kinder Bologna – G3 1996/97 EuroLeague Round of 16
Before Game 2, Bologna’s head coach Alberto Bucci was sacked and the black-and-white team managed to tie the series with an 83-76 win despite a monstrous double-double of 25 points and 16 rebounds by Warren Kidd.
In Game 3, however, defensive specialist Sandro De Pol forced Arijan Komazec into 1-for-6 shooting from the perimeter, while Flavio Portaluppi (photo) established a late 4-point lead with a dagger that didn’t let the opponents find a way to reduce the gap in the final minutes. Milan won 78-76, closed out the series 2-1, and advanced to the quarterfinals, where it lost against Smelt Olimpija Ljubljana.
A|X Armani Exchange 72-83 Virtus Segafredo Bologna – G2 2020/21 LBA Finals
For the first time since 1983/84, Milan and Virtus Bologna faced each other in the hottest part of the season. After a thrilling Final Four against Barcelona and CSKA Moscow, which ended in third place, Ettore Messina’s team felt out of shape and completely overwhelmed in Game 1 of the LBA Finals, where Sasa Djordjevic brought his players to a convincing 83-77 win on the road.
Milanese pride was expected in the second game in the Mediolanum Forum, but Milos Teodosic scored 21 points on 5-for-9 three-point shooting. Too many mistakes in the paint from the home side (9 for 30) helped the black-and-white team to go up 2-0 in the series, which would eventually end in a 4-0 sweep, giving Virtus its first Italian championship in 20 years.
A|X Armani Exchange 81-64 Virtus Segafredo Bologna – G6 2021/22 LBA Finals
The previous year’s loss left Milan with a bitter taste, leaving the feeling of revenge to grow for the whole season. And while Ettore Messina’s players went down without Nicolo Melli against Anadolu Efes in EuroLeague Playoffs, Virtus came out victorious in the 7DAYS EuroCup, earning a ticket to this year’s EuroLeague. Milan had the opportunity to close the series in Bologna, but eventually, everything had to be decided at Mediolanum Forum.
In Game 6, the home side started hot, ending the first quarter up by 13 points. Luigi Datome (23 points), Shavon Shields (15 points), and Chacho Rodriguez (12 points and 8 assists), in his last game in a Milan jersey, gave the red-and-white team its 29th Italian championship.
PHOTO CREDIT: EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Eurokinissi