Marco Bortolami appointed new head coach of Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks have confirmed the appointment of Marco Bortolami as their new head coach, in a move first reported by RugbyPass.

The former Italy international will work under director of rugby Alex Sanderson, joining the club’s senior coaching group ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Bortolami (45) arrives in Manchester after stepping down from a similar role at Benetton Treviso earlier this year. He was capped over 100 times by Italy and became the youngest captain in Azzurri history at just 22.

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The 6’5 second-row also enjoyed a decorated club career with Padova, Narbonne, Gloucester, Aironi and Zebre; before retiring as a player in 2016.

He transitioned straight into coaching with Benetton and was appointed Head Coach in 2021, leading the side during a period of steady progress in the United Rugby Championship.

“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,” said Bortolami.

“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.

“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.

“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.”

Sharks DoR Alex Sanderson said: “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.

“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.”