Norway coach

Kraft on Stöckl: “If they don’t want him, …”

Alexander Stöckl is currently having problems with the Norwegian team - but ÖSV eagle Stefan Kraft has his back.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Stefan Kraft has commented on the tense situation in the Norwegian ski jumping team. He backed head coach Alexander Stöckl. He is one of the best in the ski jumping business. If he was no longer wanted in Norway, Kraft would already have an offer ready.

"He is a good man. I think he's one of the best in ski jumping. He has achieved a lot in Norway," Kraft told Norwegian broadcaster "NRK" in support of his compatriot. The overall World Cup leader also had an offer ready for the 50-year-old.

"If they don't want him, then we'll take him," Kraft jokingly remarked. However, he then added: "He should come back to Austria. We need him." After all, Stöckl is a man with a clear plan. He himself had had a great time with him, said the ÖSV eagle.

Austria already has a good coach in Andreas Widhölzl, but: "We need many good coaches in the team, one is not enough. We are a big team," said Kraft. 

Return very unlikely
There is currently only speculation about what exactly happened between head coach Stöckl and his team. In a letter to the Ski Jumping Committee in mid-February, several Norwegian athletes complained about their coach and his "human leadership". Stöckl then sought clarification several times, but has never been to a competition since. 

Stöckl has been the coach in Norway since 2011.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Kraft probably sees no future for Stöckl in Norway in this constellation. The 50-year-old was touched by the words of the ÖSV eagle: I appreciate the fact that those who know me well think that way about me".

However, a return to Austria is not realistic, as he emphasized to "NRK": "We are at home in Norway. Our friends are here, we've settled in well and our daughter goes to school. So we have no plans to move." He concluded with words of praise for Kraft: "Stefan has also developed into a great personality with good values over the course of his career. He is a very modest guy."