Hockey guru Jalonen is the new Italian head coach

From Olympic gold with Finland at Beijing 2022 to our home team's bench at the next Olympic Winter Games. Jukka Jalonen will be the new head coach of the Italian national ice hockey team, as announced this afternoon during the press conference held by the FISG – Federazione Italiana Sport del Ghiaccio and Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, at the Milano Cortina 2026 hut, on the 44th floor of the Allianz Tower in Milan. 

Jalonen is a highly experienced coach and in his 30-year career, he can boast an Olympic gold and bronze medal, and three golds, one silver and one bronze at the world championships. He was the head coach of the Finnish national team from 2007 to 2024, with a break between 2013 and 2018. And now, the 61-year-old will lead the Italian team towards their home Olympic commitment. 

Andrea Varnier, CEO of the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, did the honours. Then Giovanni Malagò, President of the Fondazione and CONI, took the floor: "From the triumphs of Paris 2024 to our home Olympics. Milano Cortina 2026 is almost here, right around the corner, and our Italian athletes are training unwaveringly. I trust FISG's work, and their decision to entrust the lead of the Italian men's national hockey team to an icon like Jukka Jalonen is a strong signal, a very strong signal indeed. A coach of international calibre, capable of dragging Finland to its first Olympic title in Beijing 2022, and now called upon to lead our home team in front of a public that hopes to see something magical. We hope his enthusiasm will be good for our team, which will be up against some of the biggest teams worldwide, and even the great comeback of NHL stars." 

FISG President, Andrea Gios, is also optimistic: "Jalonen is a deep connoisseur of European hockey, having gained extensive experience in both international competitions and major continental leagues. He is also familiar with the Italian situation, and his career is studded with great successes. He showed an extraordinary ability, by fielding highly competitive teams, often with players less highly-rated than their opponents. What makes Jalonen particularly suited to lead our national team is the way he manages to enhance the resources available to him, and to make the group closely knit, while succeeding in getting the most out of each athlete. Under his leadership, we are confident that our team can continue to grow and face future challenges with determination." 

To which the coach, Jukka Jalonen, added: "The goal is to build something beyond the Olympic Games," he confirmed, "I will give everything I have to Italian hockey. We all know that nothing happens all of a sudden. We need to work methodically, step by step, also alongside clubs. It is a stimulating task, a challenge, but also an opportunity that Italy can use to leap forward. As with any national team, we will have a few tournaments to prepare for the World Cup in the best possible way. The players will come from different clubs and different playing systems, and the task of the coaching staff is to make the group united as quickly as possible, and create a good atmosphere, a relaxed environment where everyone can compete at their best."