Thomas Rottensteiner: “The locals get preference”

Mr. Rottensteiner, last season Ritten was only able to secure relegation in the play-out against Vipiteno. How do you rate the past few months? In what ways do you admit mistakes? “A lot definitely went wrong last season. However, we assess the situation on the board a little differently than some outsiders do. We deliberately reduced the number of foreigners in order to give the local players more responsibility. They had a lot more ice time and also played a key role in the special teams. We have come up with a long-term strategy, which of course does not have to lead to sporting success straight away. Unfortunately, this was the case last season. Of course, the results are always visible to the outside world, but on the club board we have to plan for the long term and also take a setback into account.”

While Ritten has reduced the number of transfer card players, other clubs have taken the opposite approach and ignored the foreigner regulations. How will it be handled in the upcoming season? “You have to make a quick and precise decision. We have chosen our path and stand by it, simply because it is not financially possible to bring so many transfer card players into the team, who on top of that do not significantly advance the domestic ice hockey sport. If our sport wants to survive in Italy in the long term, we have to rely on the local players. While the South Tyrolean teams are largely on the same track, the clubs outside the region are still showing little willingness to work together. It will be hard work to find a common denominator here.”

Let's talk about Ritten again. In the past season, the club management managed to attract more spectators to the Ritten Arena again. To what extent can the bond between fans and players still be improved? “We can and must improve a lot in this regard. In the past season, the calendar planning certainly played into our hands: Unlike the 2010/2011 season, this time we were able to play numerous important home games on Saturdays. We have also launched several initiatives, some of which have been very well received. Now it’s up to us to further increase interest around the club and attract even more spectators to the stadium.”

One reason for the increase in spectators was certainly the early games on Saturdays at 19 p.m. Will you stick with it?

“Without a doubt this has improved the situation. That's why next season we will try to start as many games as possible at 19 p.m. Maybe we can also bring Thursday’s matches forward a little.”

Under what sporting aspects does Ritten Sport start the new season? “We have already spoken to all the local players. They have all signaled their willingness to play for Ritten again next season. So the team’s core will remain almost unchanged, now it’s time to clarify the coach’s situation.”

So the whereabouts of Greg Holst behind the Rittner gang is not yet certain? “No final decision has been made in this regard. We are very satisfied with his work because he was fully behind our project. However, it is now up to him to continue on this path and commit to the club and its players for the coming season. If we cannot find an agreement, we certainly have alternatives up our sleeves.”

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Thomas Rottensteiner: “The locals get preference”

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