Komazec The star who could have done more

On paper, not only a winning choice, but also the most logical and effective. In practice, in light of the results, a half flop (not to say complete), even if the value of the player is not up for discussion. Who are we talking about? But it is clear, of Arijan Komazec, the Croatian from Zadar, who started winning early, at 23, with the Panathinaikos jersey. He won the Greek Cup in 1993, Arijan, while in the same period, Sasha Danilovich, has already won not only the Korac, but also the 1992 Champions Cup, together with Sale Djordjevic.

The comparison with Danilovic is not accidental, because Arijan lands in Bologna in the summer of 1995, when Sasha has already taken the road to Florida, Miami and the NBA. Sasha leaves the black and white world after having won three consecutive championships, destroying rivals and adversaries. Virtus – Albertone Bucci is on the bench, the big boss is Alfredo Cazzola, theoretician of the short company and the long team – must find a replacement up to the task. In three years Danilovic has shown himself to be not only an incredible sniper, but also a complete player. One who, above all, scores (always) when needed.

A clone of Danilovic – Sasha knows it well – does not exist. We need to find something similar. And in Varese, in fact, there is a boy who is a month older than Danilovic and boasts not only a higher points average, but also percentages of realization close to perfection.

Arijan Komazec, in short, seems like the ideal replacement. Also because that is a Virtus that, by construction, seems destined to score one more point than its opponents. It is the Virtus of show-time, because in the external department we find captain Brunamonti, Claudio Coldebella, Paolino Moretti and Sandrino Abbio. As a winger there is Ricky Morandotti, the big men are Augusto Binelli and Flavio Carera and, as an American, Orlandone Woolridge is hired. That it could be show-time is immediately deduced: 1995 coincides with the introduction of the Super Cup, the trophy that puts the winner of the championship and the winner of the Italian Cup in front of each other, at least at the beginning. And Virtus immediately wins the Super Cup. It is September 16, 1995: the Black V beats Treviso, 90-72 and Arijan shows up with 15 points.

Run, Virtus and Arijan scores. Of course he scores. Compared to Danilovic, however, Komazec has something different. The higher the level of the opponents and the greater the difficulties and the more Sasha went on his own. The more the problems grew and the more Arijan took a sideline position.

Arijan even becomes the subject of a chant from the Lions' Den after a derby. Djordjevic, a Fortitudo playmaker at the time, wins it with a series of three-pointers. Komazec lines up a series of foot violations. From there the refrain: "Djordjevic's bomb, Komazec's footsteps".

Arijan's first year in black and white ends with the only victory in the Super Cup, a missed championship final - after Danilovic's three titles - and a few stomach aches.

Second year in Bologna: the black and white world has changed radically because Roberto Brunamonti, the legendary captain, has hung up his boots. The number of foreigners is growing because the figure of the EU citizen is being accepted. So, if Arijan and Zoran Savic are non-EU citizens in all respects, in the team we find Kostas Patavoukas, Cuki Galilea and 'Oronzo' Prelevic.

Arijan doesn't change: he arrives at the PalaDozza on a mountain bike that he takes right into the locker room - Amato Andalò, the legendary retired custodian, wouldn't have allowed him to do so - and he gives very few smiles. The team struggles, because Komazec is a splendid soloist - he seems to play for the statistics - who struggles a lot to fit into the group. Something breaks with Bucci to the point that, after a trip to France, Arijan blows up. Or rather, he blows up on the spur of the moment, the next day he corrects his aim. With the result that in the Bologna newspapers, there are two different Komazecs. "I broke up with Bucci", the meaning of the words reported by Repubblica and Gazzetta dello Sport. "I get along well with Bucci", he claims in Resto del Carlino and Corriere dello Sport Stadio. No reporter of those years invents anything: it's just that Komazec, in the short span of a few hours, has changed his mind.

He doesn't change it a few days later. Arijan's tantrums cost Alberto Bucci his job. Brunamonti takes over as coach, despite wanting to be a manager. The surprises aren't over: the usual Arijan shows up smiling at Arcoveggio on March 17, 1997. Usually Arijan avoids notebooks. Not this time. Stadio and Carlino are there. It's a beautiful sunny day: Arijan puts down his bag and drops the bomb. "My right ankle hurts. I have to stop. I'm missing the Italian Cup." Komazec hasn't even finished speaking before Alfredo Cazzola, the president, has already left Promotor for Arcoveggio. It's the beginning of the end (for Arijan): Cazzola tries to mend things. Then nothing comes of it.

Brunamonti for the Italian Cup aggregates the eleventh, Tullio De Piccoli. And Virtus, at PalaMalaguti, with a moving Chicco Ravaglia, wins the Italian Cup. On paper there is also the signature of Arijan. But the signature, in fact, remains on paper. Like the ad hoc replacement for Danilovic. Arijan packs his bags in the summer of 1997 (there will be experiences with Varese, Olympiacos, Zara, Aek Athens, Slask Wroclaw and Scandone Avellino), Danilovic will return. And Virtus will win not only the championship, but also the first Champions Cup.

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