Gruber: “The disappointment is enormous, but Wilson deserves a chance”

It seemed to be the year of the “Rittner Buam”. After the Master Round ended as league leaders, the South Tyroleans, who had improved their quality before the start of the season, were considered the number one candidate for the title. However, the championship dreams of the Ritten fans came to an abrupt end.

Long-time top performers in particular, like Ingemar Gruber, find it difficult to write off Rittner's first championship title. “There are no excuses for the departure, we alone are responsible for that. We weren't in the best shape and didn't manage to adapt our tactics to Cortina's style of play. The opponent mostly took advantage of the large open spaces in an ice-cold manner. A lot went wrong in these crucial games,” sums up Gruber.

A season to forget The last few months have been tough: first the semi-final exit in the Italian Cup, then the bitter defeat against Cortina, when Italian ice hockey history was written in a negative sense. Because never before had the league leader been eliminated in the first round by the last player in the playoff roster. “Maybe we wasted too much energy during the regular season. In the end, only the playoffs count and we simply weren't present enough. Don't blame Coach Wilson. Each individual must question themselves and their achievements. The fact is that we had a lot of pressure on our shoulders and the transfer card players were not at their best. However, the team always stood behind the coach, who did a good job throughout. If we had beaten Cortina, we would have become champions in the end. I am convinced of that."

The future leads into the unknown On the Ritten high plateau, they invested a lot of money before the start of the season in order to be at the top at the end. Now, however, a lot of things have to be questioned, including when it comes to future planning. “I have known Thomas (President Rottensteiner, note) for many years. I am convinced that he will not let himself be dissuaded from the path he has chosen and will continue to play for the title in the future. At least I firmly believe in this goal. I personally performed well this season, so I need to keep up with that. If I can do it physically, I'll lace up my ice skates until I'm 40," explains the Rittner defensive player, who now wants to gain some distance: "I'll dedicate myself to inline hockey in the coming weeks and won't do any for the time being Attend playoff games. I couldn't bear to watch other players celebrate winning the championship.” Somehow understandable if you put yourself in Ingemar Gruber's shoes.

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Gruber: “The disappointment is enormous, but Wilson deserves a chance”

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