Was the Ice Hockey World Championship in Bolzano a success?

How satisfied are you with how the World Cup went?

“I am extremely satisfied. The title fights far exceeded our expectations. We received consistently good feedback. The number of spectators and the satisfaction of the World Ice Hockey Federation IIHF were enormous. I’m not used to such a positive atmosphere in ice hockey.”

Were there any difficulties in the run-up to the World Cup?

“I wouldn’t say difficulties. However, we were disappointed by the response from the sponsors. We would have expected more support. Unfortunately, hardly anyone believed in the event. A small downer was the 47 minutes it took to replace the glass. There was just a lot of bad luck. That was the only thing the IIHF criticized.”

Is there anything that could have been done better?

“We should have set up a larger organizational structure. There were actually only three of us. Alongside my deputy Thomas Rottensteiner and me, Doris Lintner was the driving force. The general secretary was employed by us and did most of the work. She deserves a lot of praise. When we really started preparing for the World Cup eight months ago, we didn't have the financial resources to hire additional people."

What pleased you most?

“As far as the audience was concerned, I was skeptical until the end. Especially because only a few 100 spectators attended the World Cup preparation games in Aosta, Neumarkt or Merano. Before the World Cup, I was hoping for 3000 spectators at the Italy games. When there were 3000 spectators in the arena at the start of the game between Italy and Romania, I was very excited. This increased when there were 4000 and then even 5000 fans in the stands for the first time. That was the biggest confirmation of our work.”

OC boss Marcello Cobelli.

Are all expenses required for organizing the World Cup covered?

“We knew before the start of the World Cup that we wouldn't earn anything and were expecting a bigger loss. In retrospect, the minus is manageable. We simply expected more from the sponsors. The IIHF will increase the amount starting next year. Unfortunately, this comes too late for us.”

The sporting success of hosts Italy failed to materialize. Disappointed about that?

“Of course I'm disappointed about it. After all, promotion was our goal. But if I'm realistic and ask myself what the promotion would have brought, then the answer is: Little to nothing. Finally, we are now presented with the bill for the last 10 years. We still dream of 1994. The world has changed in the last 30 years. Meanwhile, supposedly smaller nations have not only caught up with us, but have even overtaken us. In the future we have to be careful that we don't get relegated. We have to question the entire movement. We failed to invest in young talent at an early stage. While Hungary, for example, has several academies, we only have one - and it has only been there for a year. We have to change our perspective: promotion to the top division would be a huge success and is no longer a given.”

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Was the Ice Hockey World Championship in Bolzano a success?

The B World Championships in Bolzano have been history since Saturday. OC boss Marcello Cobelli answers the most important questions from the organizers' perspective to s+.

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