"Staying in the league is achievable": Mair remains confident

Italy faces its fifth test at the Ice Hockey World Championship on Friday – and it's a tough one: Sweden, a true powerhouse of international ice hockey, awaits. Assistant coach Stefan Mair spoke before the game about what he hopes for from his team.

22 May 2026

From: leo

After four games, Italy sits at the bottom of Group B with zero points. It's doubtful the Azzurri can improve this record on Friday – especially considering Sweden's less than stellar performance in Fribourg so far. Sam Hallam's team came away empty-handed against Canada (3-5) and the Czech Republic (3-4), while convincingly beating Slovenia (6-0) and Denmark (6-2).

Led by 18-year-old rising stars Viggo Bjorck and Ivar Stenberg, Sweden aims to take another step towards the quarterfinals on Friday. "We need to show the same attitude as against the Czech Republic," warns assistant coach Stefan Mair. "It's about giving the opponent as little space as possible and fighting for every puck. The goal is to continue growing as a team so we're ready for the games against Denmark and Slovenia."

Italy faces a major hurdle. © ANSA / CYRIL ZINGARO

When asked about the tournament so far, Mair said: “Compared to the last World Championships in the Top Division, our performances have been significantly better. We've also had some bad luck – like in the match against Norway. Against the Czech Republic, however, we put on a very organized performance, supported by a fantastic Damian Clara. It wasn't a given that we could maintain such a high level of intensity, especially after the sting of the defeat against Norway.”

hope dies Last

Although their main relegation rivals Slovenia already have three points, the Azzurri remain confident. In 2019, for example, the last time the Blue Team avoided relegation, a win in their final match against Austria was enough.

“What head coach Jukka Jalonen demands is self-confidence. We have to play the puck even when we're under pressure. We can't just defend for 60 minutes and only push the puck deep,” says Mair. Since their World Championship debut, however, the team's level has risen sharply, “which is why staying in the top division is still achievable.” SportNews The match will be covered with a live ticker as usual, starting at 8:20 pm.