Basketball Euroleague, Milan-Real Chacho returns and finds Pangos

At the Forum there are still 2-300 places available for this evening. The arrival of Real Madrid, the most successful team in Europe, is preceded in the interest of the Milanese public by the return of Sergio Rodriguez. In three seasons, Chacho has been able to thrill like few others in the recent history of the club. He won a championship, two Italian cups, with him Milan returned to the Euroleague Final Four. But there’s more: his way of playing and being has conquered everyone, first of all Giorgio Armani who admitted a predilection for him and his family. “Coming back to Milan is special – said Chacho – a place where I had fun and was happy. Olimpia is one of the best teams in Europe and at home they are even stronger thanks to the support of the fans”.

Hospitality

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At 20.30 (direct Sky Sport Arena) Milan returns to the Forum where in the Euroleague, in the first 5 days, he played only once, losing with Alba Berlin in extra time. The club prepared a special welcome for Rodriguez with videos and surprises before the match. “He was a fundamental player for us – said Ettore Messina-: he changed our history, our international credibility and gave us so many emotions and the joy of seeing him play even in difficult moments”. “It will be nice to play in a full building against Chacho – said Nicolò Melli, who shared the role of captain with him last year -: a player who has given so much to a club he is very attached to and which deserves a unique atmosphere. “.

I play

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“We are trying to grow, to find our equilibrium, to increase the quality minutes within the same match without getting depressed when we make mistakes – Messina said about the match -. Against Real Madrid we will have to have greater physicality both in defense”. The Madrid team is the second for rebounds and the third for blocks, especially thanks to Walter Tavares’s 221 centimeters. With Chacho and Sergio Llull he has a talented and experienced play couple. In the role Milan has so far had to adapt. For the replacement of Chacho (and Malcolm Delaney) last summer he chose Kevin Pangos and Naz Mitrou-Long, respectively one of the best players of recent seasons in Europe in Kaunas, Barcelona and St. Petersburg, and third best scorer of the last series A with Brescia. Canadians with Slovenian and Greek descent have not yet been available together. Mitrou-Long was injured in the Super Cup semi-final over a month ago and returns today. Pangos has had ups and downs, like the whole team. Lightning in attack, 11 assists in the victory in Munich with Bayern, little defense (like Rodriguez), a lot of discontinuity even within the match. So far Pangos has averaged 4.2 assists in 28 minutes on average while Chacho is at 4.6 in just under 13 minutes. In Real, who lost at home to Virtus Bologna last week, it is possible the return of Nigel Williams-Goss, play who entered the college in Gonzaga when Pangos came out.