Coach Simone Del Dio has thrown in the towel. © Pentaphoto

Coach quits: Blow up in Italy's ski team

In the middle of the season and just before the big highlight of the season – the World Championships – Italy’s ski team receives a bombshell message.

16 January 2025

From: det

First Wengen, then Kitzbühel and finally the World Cup race: For the best slalom skiers in the world, one highlight follows the next in these weeks. But now, of all times, in this hot phase of the season, Italy's slalom team suddenly finds itself without a head coach. Simone Del Dio unexpectedly resigned on Thursday.

In a two-sentence communiqué, Italy's winter sports association announced that the slalom boss had resigned from his position. A coach resigning in the middle of winter is almost unheard of in the ski circus - so the question is: why? Apparently the sporting misery of the local slalom skiers is the reason for Del Dio's withdrawal.

“Trust has been lost.” Simone Del Dio

The coach from Genoa will be listed in the portal Race ski magazines quoted as saying: "The situation is not producing the desired results and so I considered this decision necessary. Trust has been lost and I have decided to make way."

debacle instead of trend reversal

Curiously, last week Del Dio was full of confidence before the slalom in Madonna di Campiglio. “I have confidence and enthusiasm. The slalom in Campiglio can be the turning point,” he told the portal race ski magazines. But it was not a trend reversal, on the contrary: Italy experienced another debacle, with veteran Stefano Gross, in 21st place, the only Azzurro in the points. Tobias Kastlunger's only top placing of the season was 7th place in Val d'Isére, otherwise things are looking poor.

It is not yet clear who will take over Del Dio's top job. The only thing that is certain is that Italy is losing a well-known coach in the man from Genoa. Del Dio had formed an Olympic champion in France with Clément Noel and also enjoyed success in the boot-shaped country. The highlight was Alex Vinatzer's bronze medal at the 2023 World Championship.