EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach Ettore Messina has a roster full of talent and experience as his team goes in search of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague glory.
2022-23 Games to watch: EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
After losing in heartbreaking fashion in the 2021 EuroLeague Final Four semifinals and getting ousted in the playoffs against eventual champs Anadolu Efes Istanbul last season, Milan will be looking to book its place in the championship game this time around. Heading into the new campaign, here are some of Milan's must-watch games in the 2022-23 regular season.
Round 4: Potential early-season drama
Milan and FC Bayern Munich have developed a bit of a rivalry over the last few years, thanks in part to their dramatic five-game playoff series in 2021. But it is a lot more than that. Dating back to 2018, 10 of their last 13 games have been decided by 7 points or fewer. Furthermore, since Milan's Ettore Messina and Bayern's Andrea Trinchieri have sat on their respective teams' benches, seven of their last nine games have been within 7 points, including four that were decided on the final shot or in overtime.
Round 7: Historic Italian derby
For the first time this century, Milan and Virtus Segafredo Bologna will square off in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. The only previous times they met in the competition was in the 1997 best-of-three eighthfinals, which Milan won in three close games. Coach Messina spent more than a decade with Virtus and won two EuroLeague crowns there, which came in 1998 and 2001. Mediolanum Forum should be packed for this long-awaited clash between Italy's two best clubs.
Round 9: Champs in town
A game against a defending back-to-back champion is always a special occasion, let alone if it is also a rematch of last season's best-of-five playoff series. On that occasion, Anadolu Efes Istanbul beat Milan 3-1 as it advanced to the Final Four. Milan has nine players returning from last season, so they will be out for revenge in this Round 9 meeting. More than that, though, beating Efes would provide a nice boost in confidence.
Round 10: Fenerbahce, Itoudis come to the fashion capital
Each of the last four games between Milan and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul finished in a road victory. Last season, Milan humiliated Fenerbahce in Istanbul, winning 43-68, only for Fenerbahce to dominate in Milan in a game that finished in an emotional fashion, with a few players exchanging words afterward. This clash will certainly carry even more weight this season after Fenerbahce's appointment of Coach Dimitris Itoudis. Fans in Milan are in for a treat in this two-round week given this game comes just 48 hours after playing against Efes.
Round 29: Madrid awaits
This rivalry that dates back to 1964 matches up 10-time EuroLeague champion Real Madrid and three-time champion Milan and it has only picked up in intensity in the past few years. The arrival of Coach Messina on Milan's bench is one of the main reasons why, as he also coached Real for two years. The two teams have swept each other in the last two campaigns, with Milan winning both regular-season games in 2020-21, before Real returned the favor last season. There are many tough road tests in the EuroLeague, but for Milan, this road trip is as classic as it gets.