“There will be no World Cup without Italy”

“Privately, the last few months have taken a lot out of me - and now this is coming too,” says Stefan Zisser, who is responsible for the national ice hockey team as sports director and with his statement alludes to the rockslide at the Hotel Eberle at home. You can almost feel sorry for him - especially on this Friday, when so much is at stake.

In the morning, the crucial corona tests will be carried out in the Blue Team's quarantine accommodation. Recently, seven players and two members of the support staff were still positive. Now the result of the last series of PCR tests is awaited with trepidation; then it will become clear whether players have recovered in time or whether new infections have occurred. A decision from the laboratory is expected by Saturday morning at the latest. “But I can already assure you: There will be no World Cup without Italy,” Zisser brushes off any doubts. Younger and more inexperienced than ever before What is also certain, however, is that Italy will field a team at the World Cup in Riga that has never been so young and inexperienced. Even players from the U20 team will travel to Latvia. It will only become clear on the day before departure whether all possible 28 squad positions can be used up or who will ultimately be part of the squad. In any case, Peter Spornberger is there, who arrived at the team headquarters on Thursday after his semi-final exit in the DEL2 with Freiburg.

<a data-caption="FISG-Präsident Andrea Gios, der Verantwortliche für die Nationalmannschaften Stefan Zisser und Vizepräsident Reinhard Zublasing (v.l.) haben dieser Tage alle Hände voll zu tun. © kp" data-fancybox="inline-76857" target="_image" href="https://s3-images.sportnews.bz/_images/scale/1280x1280/img/2021/05/fisg-praesident-andrea-gios-der-verantwortliche-fuer-die-nationalmannschaften-stefan-zisser-und-vizepraesident-reinhard-zublasing-vl-haben-dieser-ta.jpg"> FISG President Andrea Gios, the person responsible for the national teams Stefan Zisser and Vice President Reinhard Zublasing (from left) have their hands full these days. © kp

On Sunday, the Blue Team - divided into several buses - travels to Verona, from where they take a specially chartered plane to Latvia. This is what the Corona requirements say. “You can imagine that the costs have now reached horrendous levels. “That’s a lot of money for our little association,” moans Zisser. In addition to the travel expenses, there are also those for World Cup preparations, which have increased significantly due to the quarantine measures. Players, coaches, supervisors and officials have been in individual isolation at the Hotel Sheraton for the entire week. The food is delivered to the room and athletic training is carried out via video chat. “We let everyone freely decide whether to take part in the World Cup project” When they arrive in Riga, the Azzurri can expect the same procedure from Sunday: like all World Cup participants, they have to go into individual quarantine for two days. Even Zisser says: “The players take on incredible things over the course of weeks. That's why we let everyone decide freely whether to participate in the World Cup project. The boys who are there in Riga do it out of passion.” Training at the World Cup venue is only allowed to begin on the third day. Italy's selection players have now been without ice contact for 3 days. The only indicator is the two test match appearances against France on the first weekend in May; the following three games had to be canceled.

Zisser doesn't want to know anything about an impending debacle at the World Cup: “Of course it will be brutally difficult for our boys. The inexperience and the Corona problems do the rest. But I'm sure we'll put up a brave fight and the players will grow at this World Cup. It is the right time for a rejuvenation treatment.” Since the relegations have been suspended this year, the young wild ones can actually play almost freely. That’s why “something positive can be drawn from this current emergency situation in Italian ice hockey,” as Zisser concludes with a slight sigh. Italy's World Cup schedule in Riga: Friday May 21st: Italy – Germany Sunday May 23rd: Italy – Norway Monday May 24th: Italy – Latvia Thursday May 27th: Italy – Finland Saturday May 29th: Italy – Kazakhstan Sunday May 30th: Italy – Canada Tuesday, June 1st: Italy – USA

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“There will be no World Cup without Italy”

A Corona cluster in the national team - things couldn't have been worse for Italy's ice hockey immediately before the World Cup in Riga. The Azzurri are flying to Latvia on Sunday, but no one wants to think about that at the moment.

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