Ice hockey club in Emilia Romagna attracts with money and free beer

One of them is Thomas Waldthaler, who captained SV Kaltern to the Serie A2018 title in the 19/2 season before ending his career for the time being. Here you can read why the “gold diggers” are rocking the league and what plans they have.

“When I was contacted last fall by David Stricker, who is not only a player but also the athletic director at Fanano, after careful consideration I was persuaded to make a comeback. “I didn’t even know where Fanano was and what to expect in this village in Emilia Romagna,” recalls Waldthaler.

Fanano is located in the province of Modena at an altitude of 640 meters and has around 3000 inhabitants. The place is a good 60 kilometers south of Modena and around 70 kilometers southwest of Bologna. In 1986, an ice rink was built into the hillside in the middle of the village, which can accommodate 1500 spectators. Ice hockey was played in Fanano for the first time in the 1980s. The Fanano Miners have been around since 2018. The team took part in the “Libertas” hobby championship for 4 years, which they won in the spring of 2022, before they decided to take part in the IHL Division I (formerly Serie C) for the first time .

Thomas Waldthaler wants to cause a stir with Fanano.

The start was rocky. The newcomer finished the West Circle in 10th and last place after 4 games with just one win (2:20 against HC Milano Old Boys) and a goal difference of 95:6. In the Qualification Round, the Miners presented themselves completely renewed. In addition to Thomas Waldthaler, several well-known players joined Fanano. And for the team of main sponsor and owner Dany Taner Bahar, who helps out in defense at 51, things suddenly went uphill.

1500 fans in the stands The team started the qualifying round with a defeat and then tried to catch up. With 7 wins in a row and a goal difference of 61:28, the Miners secured second place behind HC Cadore and at the same time the final play-off ticket. In the quarter-finals ("best of 2"), Fanano will face the previous season's dominant team, HC Feltre, from Saturday. “Feltre had an outstanding season. Nevertheless, we are figuring something out. Play-off games are a chapter in themselves, with little things making the difference. The decisive factor will be the condition of the day and also whether we experienced cracks can do something together with the amateur players,” says Waldthaler.

The defender has played 7 games for the “Golddiggers” so far, scoring 5 goals and preparing 6 more. In addition to Waldthaler, there are also Lorenz Daccordo from Ritten (3 games/4 points), Andrè Rolfini from Bolzano (17/23), Michael Guarise from Merano (16/16), Daniel Valgoi (17/10), Alessandro Lombardi (16/10 ) and Noah Pöder (10/2) as well as Val Gardena native Davide Holzknecht (7/11) in Fanano's squad. “The club covers all expenses.” Thomas Waldthaler “As a rule, on Friday afternoon a minibus with the South Tyrolean players travels from Bolzano to Fanano, 300 kilometers away. The team trains there in the evening and then spends the night in a hotel. Lorenz Daccordo and I usually set off for Fanano in a rental car early on Saturday afternoon, where the home games take place in the evening. We are both fathers and return home on the night from Saturday to Sunday. The club covers all expenses: in addition to the trip, meals and accommodation are paid for,” enthuses Waldthaler.

For the “gold diggers” in Emilia Romagna, money obviously doesn’t play a role. The actors are paid per game and receive proud salaries that one can only dream of in this country. After all, Dany Taner Bahar's success costs a lot. The Swiss with Turkish roots lives in Dubai and wants to see the club in the IHL Serie A in 5 years. Bahar has been working in the automotive industry for many years: first in a leading position at Red Bull, then at Ferrari and Lotus. He is currently one of the main investors in the luxury car manufacturer “Ares Performance” based in Modena.

Upswing thanks to Swiss investor Bahar is not only the main sponsor and owner of Fanano Miners: he is the boss who wants to have everything under control. He also decides what the lines look like on the ice. The Romanian “coach” Daniel Niculae Cicu is only sitting on the bench pro forma. He has a powerful team at his disposal, from which, in addition to the South Tyroleans, goalkeeper Andrea Rivoira and strikers David Stricker and Tommaso Terzago stand out. And of course Brian Ihnacak. The 37-year-old Italian-Canadian, who is married in Aosta, played in Slovakia last season and has so far collected an impressive 6 points (25 goals) in 11 games for the Miners, which is why he leads the team's scorers list.

At the home games, the “Ares Arena”, which Bahar recently equipped with two giant screens and which he wants to modernize and enlarge this summer, was really busy recently. “With 2 spectators it was completely filled several times. The fans pay no entrance fee. There is also free beer and a buffet. Many of them come from Modena or Bologna to ski in the surrounding mountains before attending our games in the evening. “It’s a great show based on the NHL model: In addition to two mascots, there are 1500 cameras and 2 cable guys in the stadium,” assures Waldthaler.

The Miners play their home games in the Ares Arena.

The Kalterer resident has kept fit in recreational ice hockey in recent years. This season he is also gaining his first experience as a coach: “I passed the coaching exam a year ago and am looking after the U7 and U11 teams at Kaltern. I really enjoy working with the children.” Waldthaler could definitely imagine lacing up his skates for Fanano in the coming season, although he has also aroused interest from other clubs – even from the AlpsHL.

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Ice hockey club in Emilia Romagna attracts with money and free beer

When the play-offs in IHL Division I begin on Saturday, there will be a team that will be unknown to most local ice hockey fans. There are 7 players from South Tyrol playing for the Fanano Miners.

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