MILAN – Italian national team head coach Stephan Mair resigned despite two more years on his contract stating discrepancies with the Italian Ice Sports Federation.

The news came a few days after Mair had been behind the bench of the Italian national team in three exhibition games against the KHL clubs Avangard Omsk and Vityaz Podolsk that all ended with losses for the “Squadra Azzurra”.

Mair became Italy’s head coach three years ago after relegation from the top division and initiated a rejuvenation process focusing on Italian-trained players. In his second year Italy earned promotion and competed in the top division of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship where Italy lost all seven games in Cologne including a 3-2 opening-day overtime defeat against Slovakia after a 2-1 third-period lead that eventually decided about relegation.

The Italian Ice Sports Federation announced that the program will be continued with the taken direction and the process of finding a new head coach will be launched.