A touch of Champions League at the Olympics

They may not win a medal, but they still set the tone at the Olympics. The Venue Media Managers organize press conferences, are the point of contact for all journalists, photographers, and TV crews on site, and coordinate the media workstations. In short: they ensure that Olympic coverage runs smoothly.

In Livigno, there are two Venue Media Managers, both from South Tyrol. Egon Theiner from Bolzano is in charge of the Snow Park at Mottolino, which houses the halfpipe, big air jump, slopestyle course, snowboard run, and cross-country slope. Wolfgang Resch from St. Pauls, on the other hand, is the Olympic media manager for the Aerials and Moguls Park at the base station of the Carosello 3000 ski area.

A true Olympic veteran There you'll find the mogul run and the course for the spectacular aerials competitions of the ski acrobats. While Theiner, who, incidentally, celebrated his 58th birthday yesterday – congratulations again! – has participated in every Winter Olympics since the 1998 Nagano Games and is experiencing his eleventh Olympic Games overall, Resch is competing at the Games for the first time since his Olympic debut in 2006. The Turin Games back then were the gateway to a top-class career in the world of sports for Resch.

Wolfgang Resch and Egon Theiner set the pace at the Olympic Games. © ANSA / FAZRY ISMAIL

Two years later, the man from Überetsch made his debut at a major football tournament, the EURO in Austria and Switzerland. That same year, he moved to Zurich and worked in FIFA's press office until 2015. As a senior official, he oversaw several U17, U20, and Club World Cups and was also a media officer at the 2010 tournament in South Africa and four years later in Brazil, where he led communications for the referees at the 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro.

Appearances in the Champions League Even after returning to South Tyrol, Resch remained in the world of professional football and has been working for UEFA, the European football association, since 2018, where he serves as Media Manager for the Champions League. His first club was FC Schalke 04, followed by roles as Head of Communications for UEFA at the Champions League home matches of Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund, Young Boys Bern, Eintracht Frankfurt, Sturm Graz, and this season, Bayer Leverkusen.

Inter Milan was also involved once. In 2024, Resch led Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final at Wembley, which they lost 2-0 to Real Madrid. However, the match offered the South Tyrolean the chance to experience the most important game in European club football up close as press officer in what is arguably the world's most famous stadium. At EURO 2024 in Germany, Resch, who also lends his wealth of experience to his hometown club FC St. Pauli as president, oversaw the European Championship matches in Munich. Matches of the German national football team have become almost routine for him. The Winter Olympics, therefore, provide a very welcome change from the everyday world of football.

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A touch of Champions League at the Olympics

Nothing works for the Olympic teams without them: Two South Tyroleans fulfill a particularly important job in Livigno.

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