A president who has Trieste in his heart. No catch phrases or declarations of circumstance: speaking with the number one of Pallacanestro Trieste is a moment that offers reflections and emotions. Feel the true, sincere affection that Paul Matiasic has for this land is something uncommon.
If he decided to invest in basketball and join a community that he feels is his, it is precisely because of this extraordinary bond that he was able to create with the city. A successful lawyer, but an extremely kind and helpful person, Matiasic tells us his impressions starting from a very American point of view. As much as he lets the emotional component shine through when he talks about his origins and the Italian part in him, as much as he brings out his professional approach when he addresses the topic of Pallacanestro Trieste, in his approach to the team’s problems and in managing the business.
Frank, direct, uncompromising: to understand the profound meaning of his answers and fully understand his point of view, it is necessary to start from this fundamental assumption.
A few months after joining Pallacanestro Trieste, what is your personal assessment? From the point of view of sporting results but also of the relationship established with the city. Are you getting adequate responses from institutions and private individuals or did you expect something more?
«I am very proud of what has been done to date, I am talking about both the results in the field and the relationship with the community. The thing that gratifies me most and enriched me the most was the interaction with our fans. I appreciate their support so much, just as I appreciate the fact that I have been adopted by an entire community. In addition to this, I consider the support of all the sponsors who have been close to us up to now to be fundamental. We need to ensure that those who approach Pallacanestro Trieste feel part of a project and embrace its philosophy. A path in which a single individual, despite being economically capable of doing so, takes the total responsibility of society on his shoulders is not virtuous. If we want to grow, if the company wants to be successful in the long term, this type of approach is fundamental.”
The extension of the agreement for the PalaTrieste until 2026 opens the doors to the possibility of developing projects in the medium term. To date, there have been few initiatives conducted in the purest American spirit. Do you have something specific planned to propose to the Trieste public?
«The PalaTrieste is a very important component of our organization: to maximize the potential of this company, it is necessary to have an arena that allows us to also attract other types of entertainment. So yes, we have initiatives in mind to propose to the Trieste public, but we must make the building a well-equipped and usable home for everyone.”
We are witnessing one of the most competitive Serie A of recent seasons with many ambitious teams. Trieste spent a lot, what will the club’s budget be at the end of the season? We are talking about a figure higher than eight million euros, is it realistic?
«I understand that it is being talked about, the great interest there is around these topics testifies and confirms how much basketball is followed. Having said that, no rumors and no numbers have ever been released by Pallacanestro Trieste. Going into specifics, the budget is not yet defined and will have to be determined: I don’t want to talk about numbers, but just look at the value of the players to understand the extent of the investments.”
Speaking of budget, also in light of the indications you have given when talking about a constantly monitored market, is there still the possibility of investing an extra budget between now and the end of the season?
«My philosophy, in sport as in life, is to never settle. I am very competitive and this is why, since the first day and the victory against Milan, in the daily conversations I have with GM Arcieri and coach Christian the question is always the same. Do we have everything we need to win? On my part, therefore, there is great willingness to meet any needs of the team.”
A team which, however, is in difficulty at the moment. How do you reconcile this desire to always win with the situation of a group that, having to deal with the absences of Reyes and Brown and not being able to count on Ross continuously, is struggling?
«Last Sunday’s match against Brescia is proof that, despite the injuries, this team is competitive. Many teams in our championship, without three players of the caliber of Ross, Brown and Reyes, would not have been able to play to the end. We did it and this testifies to the goodness of our staff. Having said that, I confirm the fact that I will do everything necessary to be competitive, we have a very clear idea of what we might need in terms of players.”
What profiles could be followed?
«The analysis of a player is not just about the technical aspect, the figures and statistics. If we choose a player, we do so on the basis of a culture that we have created within the club, the team and the locker room. In recent weeks we have taken into consideration players who, however, did not have these types of characteristics. The priority for our organization is to safeguard the group. The positive thing is that many agents call us and many players want to come and play in Trieste.”
Have you set a minimum goal at the end of this championship? To be clear, how would failure to enter the play-offs in May next year be considered?
«I have never set goals by thinking about what could go wrong. I trust the process of building this team, I’m optimistic, I think the only thing we have to worry about is keeping the level of excellence of our organization high. What we must do is continue this path, if we do so the results will be a consequence.” —
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