Stefan Mair is part of Italy's national team again. © Vanna Antonello

Stefan Mair: “I wouldn’t call myself a fanatic”

Stefan Mair is back in local ice hockey: The Bolzano native is set to lead the Italian national team at the 2026 Olympics as assistant coach and right-hand man to Jukka Jalonen. On the sidelines of the training camp in Bolzano, we talked in detail about Mair's role in the Blue Team, his future and the past.

11 December 2024

The Bozen native has decided after Tuesday’s training session at the Sparkasse Arena for SportNews We took the time to talk to him. Mair seems very relaxed and you can see that he is enjoying his new job. He is always full of energy anyway. We spoke to him talked about...

... his new role as assistant coach: "Compared to the role of head coach, the areas of responsibility are of course different. I see myself as an assistant to Jukka Jalonen and want to give him as much information as possible about the players. All of this was unexpected for me. But I have known Jukka for a long time. For me, it is an enrichment to be able to work with such a coach."

... the times that have changed in the national team: "In 2017, we went to the A World Cup in Cologne with two dual citizens. Nowadays, there is much more choice. There are also interesting young players coming up like Zanetti, De Luca, Purdeller, Segafredo and of course Clara. The squad has more depth. There is more to this team than it showed at the B World Cup in Bolzano."

“There is more to this team than what they showed at the B World Championships in Bolzano.” Stefan Mair

... his reputation as a hockey fanatic: "I wouldn't describe myself as a fanatic. I'm very detail-oriented. That was the only way for me to be able to work in Switzerland. Otherwise I would never have been able to be there as an Italian coach. The time in Switzerland was amazing for me. In the 6 years in Thurgau (second Swiss league, editor's note), the team developed really well. I would also never want to miss the experience in Kloten (first Swiss league, editor's note)."

Stefan Mair worked in Switzerland for many years.

...the differences between Switzerland and the ICE: "In Switzerland, ice hockey is played in a fast and attractive way. There are many influences from abroad - from Scandinavia, for example. That helped me as a coach. But there is also a lot more money in Switzerland. You can see that in the whole structure of the clubs. It's just about the manpower, the number of permanent employees. At ICE clubs like Bozen, there are also around 10 foreigners in the squad, in Switzerland there are much fewer (2 to 6). This also shifts the hierarchy in the squad. At ICE clubs, the foreigners have more power and you always have to keep them happy."

“In Bolzano or Bruneck, foreigners have more power than in Switzerland.” Stefan Mair

... a return as Bozen or Pustertal coach: "I don't think so much about Pustertal, because we didn't part on good terms there. But that's in the past. In hindsight, I could have done some things differently there too. You should never rule anything out in life."