Katharina Liensberger after leaving the trainer: “I’m very sorry”

A chapter full of misunderstandings officially ended on Monday. “Star” trainer Livio Magoni and Austria’s alpine ski ace Katharina Liensberger go their separate ways after just a few months of working together. According to the official reading, Magoni threw in the towel himself. Liensberger, who had spoken openly about the difficult partnership in the past few weeks, said she did not see the separation coming.

“Of course there were misunderstandings, ambiguities, difficulties in communication. But the fact was that the common goals were there,” said Liensberger in the Ö3 interview. “I’m very sorry that we can’t follow them together. It was extremely surprising and unexpected for me too.”

Magoni, who paved the way to overall World Cup victories for Tina Maze and Petra Vlhova, has been in charge of Liensberger since April. But the 25-year-old from Vorarlberg was far from able to match the performances she had previously shown this season. After 13 races this year, Liensberger is still without a place on the podium, in the last ten races she only made it into the top ten once.

“There wasn’t enough”

The lack of results would have created stress, said Thomas Trinker, the women’s racing manager in the ÖSV. “We are a meritocracy, especially in sport it’s about delivering. There wasn’t enough. I think that frustrated Livio and drove him to it.” In addition to communication problems, there were different opinions regarding ski technique and training. Magoni was “not quite able to go through with his program” as desired, Trinker also gave an insight.

As soon as alpine boss Herbert Mandl presented the king’s transfer, many observers asked themselves: do the well-known rough working methods of the Italian and Liensberger’s sunny disposition come together to form a successful symbiosis? Can the sensitive skier with a trainer who was given the nickname “Felix Magath of Skiing” in the media? Liensberger answered the question of whether the two approaches were too different on Monday with a brief but meaningful answer: “Possibly.”

“You have to take more responsibility now”

Magoni himself explained in an association broadcast: “It was not planned that our common path would end prematurely due to technical, logistical and organizational misunderstandings.” He thanked the sporting management for the trust they had placed in him and very much regretted not having met the expectations in working with Liensberger.

The woman from Vorarlberg will now be fully integrated into the technical team under the direction of group trainer Georg Harzl. She “trust that I can train well in the ÖSV technical team. I accept the new challenge of changing coaches,” said Liensberger.

“She was always close to her colleagues, but now a little closer,” added Trinker. The constant accompaniment by Magoni is now no longer necessary. “She has to take on more responsibility now and I think that’s a good thing.” The next World Cup races are already on the program on Tuesday and Wednesday with the giant slalom doubles at Plan de Corones (ITA).

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