In the search for a new head coach, the Fraport Skyliners also received one or the other rejection - because "not everyone" had "trusted themselves" about the task, said Marco Völler, sports manager at the basketball Bundesliga club, on Tuesday of the FAZ Einer feels the mission to remain in the class in Frankfurt thanks to his experience in the relegation battle: Luca Dalmonte.

The 58-year-old Italian will become the new head coach in the seventeenth place in the table in the demanding final sprint.

"It's 99 percent sure and through," said Völler on Tuesday afternoon on request.

George Daniels

Editor in the sports department

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In the evening, coming from Bologna, Dalmonte was expected at Frankfurt Airport, where Völler received him.

After that, the collaboration only had to be sealed in writing because "all the essential things" had been discussed in advance, according to Völler.

contract until the end of the season

As the successor to Diego Ocampo, who was on leave last week due to lack of success, Dalmonte has been given a contract until the end of the season.

If the coach, who was born in Imola, leads the Frankfurt team to remain in the league in the remaining ten games of the season, he is the "first option" for the post in the coming season, said the sport manager.

What would happen in the event of relegation to the second-class Pro A - it would be the first crash in the club's history - according to Völler there are still no plans.

On Monday morning, interim coach Klaus Perwas led the pros' training.

This Tuesday from 11am, Dalmonte will be in charge.

It was Perwas' express wish to step back into the second rank - although he had won with the team last Sunday in Braunschweig after eight failures in a row.

But the longtime assistant coach has always felt better off in the role of second man.

"Huge" experience

After many engagements in Italy, Frankfurt will be Dalmonte's first stop in Germany.

Yannick Binas, the club's managing director, had already said on Monday, without specifically referring to a coach's name, that Bundesliga experience was "not the most important criterion" when selecting the new head coach.

"That would reduce the circle of candidates extremely." According to Völler, the Skyliners had dealt with around 20 coach names, five would have finally belonged to the narrower circle.

Dalmonte, the first Italian head coach in Frankfurt, was the best solution for them under the current circumstances.

Dalmonte's experience is "immense", said Völler.

“He was in a similar situation with other teams that were not doing well in terms of sport.

He was able to turn things around there.” Most recently, Dalmonte was able to save Serie A club Fortitudo Bologna from relegation from the top division.

After a terrible series of defeats, the Italians under his guidance managed a series of successes that was hardly thought possible.

"You can't reinvent the world here," said Völler.

However, the new coach must convey to the team that there is a possibility of remaining in the class.

The Skyliners (12:36 points) are currently four points behind the first non-relegation zone.

Oldenburg (16th place) and Würzburg (15th) each played one match more.

At 16:30 points, Heidelberg, who Frankfurt will meet next week, are one game behind the Hessians.

Managing director Binas assumes that the Skyliners still have to win five to six matches to remain in the league.

The new coach must “have a certain standing and charisma.

It is important that he implements his ideas as quickly as possible” – this is how the managing director described the requirements profile of the new head coach last Monday.

Luca Dalmonte will now take on the role of the Frankfurt basketball firefighter.

A Herculean task awaits him with the Hessians, who, as a relegation candidate, have to become a winning team.