By Stefan Acevski / info@eurohoops.net
Maxima Roma officially presented its project, with the owner Paul Matiasic taking center stage at the press conference alongside Francesco Totti, the new Advisor of the ownership and delegate for the development of the fan base and Corporate Social Responsibility activities.
The Californian lawyer explained the vision behind the new Roman entity.
“It is always a pleasure to return to Rome. When we decided to start this project, we began with the belief that the city deserves great basketball. Beyond the court: a new model of sports entertainment capable of bringing everyone together.
In the USA, we are used to sports as something that starts well before the game and continues even after the final buzzer. It is competition but also entertainment, identity, and community. This is what we want to bring to Rome, respecting history. Attending a Maxima game should become an event, a full arena, families in the stands, fans who feel the team is their own.”
Matiasic announced the creation of the Maxima Roma Foundation, with a planned investment of five million euros over the next five years.
“It’s a hot moment for the basketball ecosystem in Europe and Italy. Our project started with the simple idea of bringing the highest possible level to Rome and Italy. The most important thing is not the wins and losses on the court, but the risk of losing or rather winning within the community.
We are in the process of launching the Maxima Roma Foundation with five million for the community over the next five years. To improve courts in Rome, engage fans in schools and gyms. We thank all the partners for this. We are also proud to have partnerships with other Roman entities, such as Luiss, Stella EBK.”
Matiasic has not hidden the ambition to reach the EuroLeague as soon as possible (it is among the finalist projects for a spot, editor’s note), while keeping the NBA Europe option open.
“Our goal is to play in the EuroLeague as quickly as possible. There are some opportunities for other leagues. But for us, the choice is simple: we want the highest level league in the shortest time possible. We are playing in the EuroCup this year and we are focusing on that. There are many important teams in this high-level competition.
For the future, it is no secret that we have had conversations with everyone. We feel the responsibility of not choosing anyone specifically, but seeing what the opportunities are to play at the highest level. We have not made decisions, we will do so out of respect for the fans and the people working within the project. We want to make the best decisions for the city of Rome.”
What role will Francesco Totti have? Matiasic spoke about the transfer of the project from Brescia to the Capital and the role that Totti will have within the organization.
“He will have a big role in our organization. It is not a symbolic role. We made this choice because, as I said, he is the eyes of Rome, he has the heart of Rome. He knows what it takes to play at a high level. He is an Advisor for me, he will help create our fan base and for other community activities. For us, he is not an ambassador, a celebrity for show. He is involved and inside the project. When I said he is our captain, I was not joking. He understands Rome in a way we cannot. This is important.”
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