After nineteen championships played in National League, thirteen of which with the HCL jersey (598 games, 32 goals, 69 assists), topped off by a national title in 2006, two playoff finals (2016, 2018), two Youth World Cups (U18 and U20) and 25 games with the Swiss national team, Alessandro Chiesa ended his long and brilliant competitive career with Thursday evening's match.
The rock-solid defender, Lugano's captain from 2016 to 2020 and the seventh player in the club's history in terms of number of appearances, will begin a training course in the youth section ofHockey Club Lugano from next June, at the same time completing his university education.
Aware of the importance of planning his post-career with a view to a possible future integration into society, Chiesa had already decided a few years ago to embark on the path of university studies that would lead him to a Bachelor's degree in Leisure Management at SUPSI, a world involving Sport, Entertainment, Tourism, Art and Culture.
Confronted in these months with the alternative between continuing his playing career away from Ticino or giving continuity to his intense history with the HCL in a new role, Chiesa chose the latter option.
His deep identification with the colours bianconeri, his passion for the world of sport and his technical skills will thus immediately be an added value for the growth of the youth sector ofHockey Club Lugano.
Until the end of his studies at SUPSI and his training within Youth + Sport, Alessandro will be active part-time in the Youth Section with the functions of coach and administrative assistant, with a focus on the recruitment of youngsters, a sector that has been forcibly affected in recent years.
These are the words of Marco Werder, CEO of theHockey Club Lugano organisation and Director of the HCL Youth Section:
"We are very happy that a figure like Alessandro Chiesa has accepted this training course within our Youth Section. His empathy, his easiness in human relationships, his attention to the social aspects, together with his technical skills, are the ideal ingredients to continue a relationship with the HCL that dates back to his arrival at Lugano when he was eighteen years old in the season 2005/06".
The big HCL family will have the opportunity to thank Alessandro Chiesa for all he has done and all he will do for the colours bianconeri on the occasion of the traditional end-of-season team farewell scheduled for Sunday 3 April 2022 starting at 12 noon at the DNA Capannone Bianconero & Events and at the Casetta Gialla with the offer of a maccheronata and risotto.
