Knoll practices self-criticism: “I have to take it upon myself”

HCB boss Dieter Knoll reviews the season again in the first part of the big interview. The Foxes' managing director and sports director talks about the reasons for the poor performance and also looks ahead to the coming season.

A good two months ago, the season for HCB Südtirol came to an end in the pre-playoff. Have you gotten over missing the playoffs for the first time? “The sting is still deep. I'm still disappointed as reaching the playoffs has been our minimum goal every season since we entered the league in the summer of 2013. But it’s no use: I have to face reality, look forward and concentrate on the 2022/23 season.”

What went wrong last season? “There were several factors that led to this miserable performance. On the one hand, mistakes were made when putting together the team. A bad purchase is allowed; but it shouldn't be more than that. I have to take that on my own account. Ultimately, I am responsible for the team. In addition, some of the league's decisions didn't help us. In addition, the coronavirus and the failure of the coaches and players were decisive in missing the playoffs.”

To what extent did the coronavirus play a role in the poor performance? “Thanks to our medical team, we gave the players the greatest guarantees, but we were quite limited due to Corona. So we weren't able to hold a training camp before the start of the season, which had previously been useful for team building. We were never actually a team. I also think that some players couldn't cope with the strict Corona regulations. They were locked up a lot and only given the necessary freedoms. I had the feeling that in the end everyone was happy that the season was over.”

In the past you have repeatedly scored big hits on the transfer market. Why were there some duds like Kevin Boyle, Keegan Lowe, James DeHaas, Daniel Ciampini and Joseph Mizzi last summer? “These players were fine according to the curriculum and information we were given. As in previous years, we have selected all new recruits to the best of our knowledge and belief. Unfortunately, some of them failed to live up to expectations. But they weren't the only ones. I would say that the majority of players fell short of expectations. The problem was that a year ago the market was pretty empty and you had to take what you could get.”

Greg Ireland was unable to initiate the hoped-for turnaround. © HCB

From the outside you had the feeling that the team could play better than it showed. Do you share this opinion? "In any case. The whole team didn't play as well as it could have for long stretches. She barely even played for a full 60 minutes. There were too many ups and downs. Consistency has been lacking all year long. A good game was usually followed by a bad one. But we also showed two faces in just one game: after 30 good minutes, we played 30 bad minutes.”

The change of coach in December also did not bring the desired success. What was that about? “After the mixed performances, I wanted to shake the team up. Doug Mason certainly wasn't a bad coach. He was perhaps too good with the players and was like a second father to them. I wanted to make a statement in the hope that the team could turn things around. Unfortunately, it was not like that. For me, Greg Ireland was the best solution at the time. He is a very competent but also tough coach who knows a lot about ice hockey. Some players couldn't cope with his strict line and methods. “Ireland failed to get the most out of the players and get the team back on the road to success.”

Is it fair to say that bringing Greg Ireland back was your biggest mistake yet? “I wouldn't say that. In December I was convinced of him. He already knew most of the players and the overall situation. He also did an excellent job the year before. Unfortunately, even he couldn't work miracles and get the sinking ship back on course. The calculation didn't work out: My decision was wrong because it didn't bring the desired result. In retrospect, I dare say that things wouldn't have gone any worse with Mason. In any case, I would have saved a lot of money.”

“The two 0-5 defeats at the green table against Klagenfurt and Fehervar still hurt. You just feel like you’re being treated unfairly.” Dieter Knoll, managing director of HC Bozen

Has your anger subsided after the corona-related 0-5 defeats at the green table against Klagenfurt and Fehervar or are you still angry? “These defeats still hurt. You just feel like you're being treated unfairly. According to the applicable rules, in both cases we had too few players and were therefore unable to play. The league and the responsible commission saw it differently. What annoys me most is the fact that we were already on the way to Klagenfurt or in Hungary on the originally scheduled date when the games were canceled because the two opponents had some positive players in their ranks.

The HCB was slowed down by the coronavirus not only in the championship, but also in the Champions Hockey League. How much did that hurt? “That hurt a lot. We were already in Finland when the second leg of the round of 16 was canceled because Lukko Rauma had several players infected. The fact that in the end only the first leg in Bolzano was counted and we were not awarded the victory at the green table was very painful.”

The only good thing is that things can only get better in the future. Do you already have an idea what the team could look like next winter? “We are already at a good point. With the exception of Mike Halmo, who could stay in Bolzano, we probably won't see any of the foreigners again. This means that we have to fill 9 positions. We are currently in the process of putting potential new additions through their paces. The situation on the market has improved slightly, but at the same time the price level for players has increased. We will try to sign some young, aspiring foreigners who can recommend themselves for higher roles. We have mostly done well with this in the past. The first new signing this year will be the coach.”

Do you already have the new coach in mind? “We have already made a pre-selection and are close to finalizing it. I can reveal this much: It will be a coach who has already worked in Europe. I want to start again like I did 9 years ago with Tom Pokel and put the team together with the coach. Then there are no excuses afterwards.”

“The loss of Alex Trivellato and Anton Bernard is heavy and will be difficult to compensate for.” Dieter Knoll

How many of the remaining players can hope for a contract extension? “As already mentioned, only Halmo of the guest workers can count on a contract extension. The selection of local players is very small. We will try to bring the best of them we can to Bolzano. The loss of Alex Trivellato and Anton Bernard is heavy and will be difficult to compensate for.”

What is the club's financial situation? “Of course, Corona hasn’t left us unscathed either. That's why we always have to keep an eye on the budget and continue to monitor the economic situation. In any case, we have to be careful and not make too big leaps. I hope that the sponsors will continue to be loyal to us. We also have to try to get the audience back. In the past two years, fans' lifestyles have changed. I hope that they will come back to the stadium and support us, although I am aware that we also have to offer something.”

ICE Regular Season ICE	SP	TV	P
1. Klagenfurt	47	183:101	102
2. Fehervar	46	146:126	89
3. Salzburg	46	142:107	87
4. HCB South Tyrol	46	137:125	76
5. Linz	46	146:116	75
6. Villach	46	155:136	74
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Knoll practices self-criticism: “I have to take it upon myself”

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