"Whoever threw me out of the national team did me a great favour. He gave me the chance to put in place a training program for Tina Maze and achieve top-level results. I'm sure I would have never found such an opportunity anywhere in the world, as the one a got in Slovenia," admits Massi.

At first he was the physical coach of Slovenia's national ski team. When they no longer needed his services he jumped in to help the then somewhat lost Tina Maze and eventually took her to win the big crystal globe. As he left a big mark on 2013, the editorial office of MMC decided to choose Andrea Massi for the 2013 Sports personality of the year. He's the fifth to win the title, after Zlatko Dedić, Petra Majdič, Samir Handanović in Darko Đurić.

Women tend to mix their personal relationships with sport
It certainly isn't easy to push his protégée to the limit when she's also the one who stole his heart. Constantly in pursuit of high-level results can be a stressful thing and that’s why conflicts often occur. Especially when things don't go the way you wish - as is the case with this season. After 15 races Tina has only won 442 points, which is a weak 30 points per race. Last year up to the New Year break (and one extra race) she had 1.059 points (66 per race). It does happen that the two don't speak to each other at all after a training session.

"Women have this problem, which is a typical female characteristic, to mix their personal relationships with sport. I don't do that. One Italian ski commentator put it nicely, saying that he wouldn't want to take over Massi's role. Every day I risk everything. That includes our relationship."
Although he's a thorn in the flesh to many in Slovenia's Ski Association due to his directness, there were a few ideas that Massi also help other Slovenian skiers with their physical preparations. However there has been no such cooperation until now.

But would Massi, who knows that hard work is the only way to success, have the guts to tell the other national team skiers that they don't work a lot? "I don't know. I never criticise others if I'm not alongside. In general I can say that the work put into skiing is too little. The Kostelić family was the first to prove that, and now Tina Maze. We set the bar quite high. But this sport still has a lot to give in all areas, including marketing. I lot of things can be done better. You can't organize a final the way it was done this year in Lenzerheide. Two races were called off. If you remember, Lindsay Vonn lost the big crystal globe because of the bad organization of the International Ski Federation. At the same time last season Tina Maze missed out on the World Cup downhill globe for just one point. Can you imagine a football World Cup match being cancelled due to rain?"

Tina will be as healthy as Alberto Tomba
That is what Andrea Massi is like. Always direct and honest. After all the "stress tests" he had to go through, his skin now is even thicker. What awaits him in the future? He doesn't see himself in a big team. He once said that when Tina puts an end to her career, he might go teach physical education again or even start farming.

And what about Tina? Is she maybe afraid that just like the two Kostelić skiers, she would have to put up with the pain and consequences of her many injuries sustained during tough training sessions? "Absolutely not. Tina is constantly under medical surveillance. Each spring we take a look at all her joints. Tina is the proof to future generations that it is possible to achieve top results without any consequences to the body. Alberto Tomba is as healthy as a horse and suffers no consequences. That's what Tina will be like when she finishes her career."