Stefan Mair: “Germany is a different world”

It's not easy to catch Stefan Mair for a telephone interview. His working day in Germany begins early in the morning and ends late at night. Video analyses, training sessions, meetings: this is what the Bolzano coach's long and very intensive working day looks like. The 45-year-old took advantage of the opportunity to work as a trainer in Germany this summer.

After a month and a half of preparation with seven test matches and just as many victories, Mair's everyday league life begins on Friday. With the self-confidence of the 9-0 victory in the cup against EHV Schönheide 09, Schwenningen goes to the Helios Arena at home against Bremerhaven. “It was a busy summer. We've worked a lot, now we're ready. The initial phase wasn't easy for me and I was under enormous pressure in the first week from the press, the fans and also the onlookers. But that's how things are. After seven days, I was able to convince everyone of my work. People understood that I wasn’t unprepared.”

The distance between Germany and Italy is not very large. But when you talk about ice hockey, you would think that you are talking about thousands of kilometers. “I work in a team that is almost entirely made up of professionals. A working day is long, everyone works on several fronts. This was not the case in Italy. Now I’m really a professional,” said Mair.

A lot of things surprised the Bolzano coach at the beginning. “The players have to work and live as professionals. Anyone who doesn't follow the rules risks losing their job. One player arrived at the start of training completely out of shape. He failed the medical checks. He was sent home and is receiving minimal pay. He has to undergo the checks again in October. If he doesn't pass it again, his contract will be terminated," says Mair. In this regard, in Italy they would let foreign players, but also locals, get away with too much.

For many experts, Schwenningen is a contender for the title. However, Mair dampens expectations: “Landshut, Heilbronn and Rosenheim are our strongest opponents. The season will be long and intense.” As far as the Italian league is concerned, Mair sees a two-part championship. “Ritten and Bozen – as long as the Foxes get a goalie and a defender with a good power play – are among the favorites for me. Milan can also do well if they bring in a strong center for the first line. The Wolves? They had to give up an entire line and have a very young squad. It won’t be an easy season for them,” concluded Stefan Mair.

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Hockey

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Stefan Mair: “Germany is a different world”

Suggestions

Comments (0)