Statement: Sale Sharks confirm former Italy captain as new head coach for 2025/26 season

The highly respected 45-year-old, who boasts more than 100 caps for Italy and previously served as Head Coach at Benetton Treviso in the URC, will now form part of an increasingly formidable coaching group under Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson.

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Capped over 100 times for Italy, Bortolami made history as his country’s youngest ever captain at just 22 and enjoyed a decorated club career that saw him line up for Padova, Narbonne, Gloucester, Bortolami arrives at the AJ Bell Stadium with a wealth of experience both on and off the pitch.

A storied playing career began at Italian side Padova and included stints at Narbonne in France and Premiership outfit Gloucester, before returning to Italy to finish his career with Aironi and Zebre. He famously captained his country at just 22 years of age, becoming Italy’s youngest ever skipper.

Bortolami transitioned seamlessly into coaching upon his retirement in 2016, immediately joining the staff at Benetton as an Assistant Coach. In 2021, he was promoted to Head Coach, where he helped elevate the URC side’s standing despite financial constraints.

Speaking about his new role, Bortolami expressed his enthusiasm:
“I’m really excited and honoured to be part of this family. The club has been building for the last few years and to have the chance now to come and contribute is unbelievable.”

“I’m excited about working with Alex. I’ve got to know him well in the last four or five years and we have built a real understanding of each other and the direction that we both want to go. I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute to the culture and to the performance of the team on the pitch.”

With a clear drive to make his mark, Bortolami continued:
“I’m very challenging as a coach, and I want to get better all the time. I love new challenges and I want to innovate but my first job is to get to know everyone at the club and understand what they need to help them take the next step.”

“We have a really exciting squad with a good balance between young players and experience. Our challenge now is to find that edge to take us above the other teams and that comes down to mentality and the mindset that we have.”

Recalling his playing days, Bortolami noted the edge that Sale have always brought:
“As a player, Sale Sharks were always a tough team to play against and that value is one of the reasons I came over here. We like physical challenges and that’s what rugby is all about.”

“There are no limits on what this club can achieve. These players have shown in the last few years that they’re good enough to compete at the top end. We just need to help them understand what they need to change and what they need to improve to make the final step.”

Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson, who has spearheaded the Sharks’ rise in recent seasons, was equally enthused by the appointment. “I’ve known Marco for a long time now and I always feel more intelligent when I spend time with him. I think he’ll challenge me and there’s certainly already a base of respect and a trusting relationship there.”

“This is a huge coup for the club because Marco is an international level coach. But that’s the level that our coaching needs to be at because that’s the kind of team we’ve got here.”

For Sanderson, Bortolami's arrival signals a step-change in what the Sharks can achieve:

“We want to turn three cap international players into 50-cappers and to do that, we need to be better as a coaching group. Some of that comes from bringing in new voices but it also comes from the kind of proven experience that Marco has.”

“Marco is so smart on the psychological side of the game but he’s also a brilliant coach who has, with a very small budget, turned Treviso into a really good team. Imagine what he can do with a team like this.”

“It’s so exciting and I can’t wait to see what he can bring to this group.”