Ettore Messina on Vassilis Spanoulis: “He influenced a generation”

By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net

Playing the last preseason games before heading to the Italian Supercup, Olimpia Milan will be hosted by Olympiacos for two friendly encounters between the red-and-white sides. While on Friday they will face each other in a scrimmage behind closed doors, on Sunday it will be a special occasion.

Celebrating the legendary Vassilis Spanoulis by retiring his number 7 jersey, Olympiacos decided to invite the Italian powerhouse, which defines the current Peristeri’s head coach as “one of the greatest players of the latest generation of European stars, an opponent who has always been esteemed, respected, and obviously feared”.

Ettore Messina praised Kill Bill before heading to Greece. “Spanoulis was an incredibly talented player who influenced a generation of athletes and fans across Europe with his creativity, clutch plays, and longevity. I never had the chance to coach him, but I experienced how difficult it was to coach against a player who was a nightmare for any coach. And he was not only a great competitor and a winning player, but also a classy opponent and person”, the Italian head coach said on the Greek legend.

Facing Georgios Bartzokas’ team in the special friendly game scheduled on September 17, Olimpia Milan won’t have on board Billy Baron and Diego Flaccadori, both injured, plus Nicolò Melli, Stefano Tonut, Pippo Ricci, Maodo Lo and Johannes Voigtmann, who are resting after playing the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Olympiacos, instead, won’t have the finalist Nikola Milutinov, who will return after years with CSKA Moscow.

PHOTO CREDIT: Olimpia Milano

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