Finding himself head coach by chance due to Ireland’s positivity, the coach from Cadore speaks of “a great chance for young players”. On Friday the debut at the World Cup in Riga
RIGA (LATVIA)
World Cup, we’re almost there. On Friday, Italy will debut in the hockey Top Division group despite the difficulties due to Covid. The virus has blocked training and friendlies of the Blue Team in recent weeks and has not allowed some players and staff members to leave for Latvia. Among them is head coach Gregor Ireland, who will follow the team remotely. On the bench there will therefore be Giorgio De Bettin from Cadore, who perhaps would never have imagined having to take such a responsibility on his shoulders on perhaps the most important occasion.
«It is undoubtedly an unexpected situation», comments the coach, «the culmination of a period in which nothing really went as we had planned; in short, it’s all very complicated, but I still think it’s good for the team and for the whole movement to be able to leave for this World Cup. We have lost many of the leaders along the way, it is true, but a new and unexpected opportunity has been created for many young people who will have the opportunity to prove their worth. It will be a huge challenge for everyone », De Bettin underlines,« also for us of the technical staff who will not be able to count, at least initially, on the presence of Greg Ireland. As for me, I hope to be up to it and to be able to give something positive to the guys. The goal is to become, at the end of the tournament, a better team than the one that started it: we are aware of the fact that we will face challenging and difficult experiences, but I am convinced that they will be very formative and will not only grow this group but, I hope, all Italian hockey. Growth which is one of the objectives we aim to achieve ».
Yesterday the Azzurri, including Cortina player Phil Pietroniro, had their first training session on Latvian soil. The World Cup debut is scheduled for Friday at 3.15 pm against Germany. Subsequently Italy will face Norway, Latvia, Finland, Kazakhstan, Canada and the United States on 1 June. In addition to De Bettin and Pietroniro, the Ampezzo toolmaker Cesare Appollonio is also present in Latvia; Gianfranco Talamini, historical team manager who has followed the adventures of the senior national team since 1994, will not be there due to health problems.