Milan wants to have its own ice hockey team after the end of the Olympics in February 2026. The arenas that host the hockey tournament in Italy should have their own legacy for use by a local team, Reuters reported on Saturday, BTA reported.
"These Olympics were truly exceptional. We have wanted this to happen for quite a long time," said Andrea Gios, president of the Italian Winter Sports Federation.
Milan successfully held competitions in figure skating, speed skating, short track and ice hockey at the Games. The idea of the local authorities is to build a hall on the outskirts of the city for about five thousand spectators within the next three years.
A temporary new ice arena is planned to be created in October, and after some time it will become the permanent home of a local hockey club, which will participate in the championship together with Austrian, Italian and Slovenian teams.
The surprising announcement by the local authorities came after many Italian athletes and residents of Milan complained about the prospect of the city being left without a permanent arena for ice sports after the end of the Olympic Games.