In the eerie atmosphere of the empty hall stadium crowned the ZSC Lions yesterday, your resurrection of this winter with the qualifying victory. Only about 50 visitors, journalists and club members, attended the 4:1 on the EV train in. The Coronavirus and the Directive of the Federal Council, up to 15. March no events with more than 1000 spectators to admit, has brought the Swiss ice hockey two curious days. And as it goes, none can say. The season should be canceled, even, would have secured the Zurich with rank 1 and maybe the championship title.
the Clubs of The National League and the Swiss League will meet on Monday morning at 10 o’clock in Ittigen for the briefing. One thing seems clear: The Playoff is not as planned on Saturday, 7. March, with further mind games begin. There is consensus in the Clubs.
Lengwiler: “play without an audience is no variant”
train managing Director Patrick Lengwiler is representative of many when he says: “games without an audience, for me not a variant. The spectators, the Fans and the sponsors that make this possible in the first place, what we do. It is not for me, that we play without them in front of empty stands, just so you are left with a winner. Then it is a master on the ice, but no, nothing.”
ZSC CEO Peter Zahner is proposing to move the Playoff will Start with ten days on the 17. March. “So we could prepare for the different scenarios.” The proposal is expected to find a majority. In the list of agenda items, the possession of the Sunday paper, lists six variants, which overlap in part:
The restriction by the Federal Council, is by 15. March repealed. The restriction will be extended, Team, coach, or Manager to become infected, travel restrictions. SRF Operations will not produce the TV pictures (for example an infected Person or company-internal instructions SRF). The Federal Council extended the existing measures to the 22. March or longer. Playout-Final, League qualification and relegation, Swiss Cup and MySports League may not be “Best of 7” played. Cancellation of the championship.
From these possibilities, a variety of detail issues. How strong the series can be shortened? Should Teams from the championship if someone is infected? Will cancel the season then? The date from which it is prepared to take spirit of games to purchase? There is a climber and a master? The idea that the qualification of the winner is considered champion, is listed in the list of agenda items at least. It would be a title with an asterisk.
the Last time was chosen as 80 years ago is not a master in Swiss ice hockey – the season of 1939/40 was due to the Second world war. Already in the following Winter, defeated Davos in a Mini has been re-played championship.
The Playoff Start to postpone, as the intend of the Clubs, is a pragmatic one. A guarantee that the situation is improving, although there is not. Train Lengwiler finds, a series on the “Best of 3”, so on two instead of four wins, wouldn’t be more worthy of the playoff. The Clubs hope that the Situation will be relaxed, in order to keep their Revenue loss as small as possible. Lengwiler warns: “When you Play without the audience, there should be Clubs without the audience’s revenue in financial difficulties.”
Zahner: “Maybe you overreacted a little”
ZSC-CEO, Zahner says: “I respect the decision of the Federal Council. But I think the limit of 1000 viewers to crass. Even Federal councillor Alain Berset said Yes, this number is more or less arbitrary. Maybe you overreacted, probably under pressure, something. The economic impact of the Sport are serious.”
In Germany, meanwhile, played better football, or ice hockey, in front of large crowds. “The sports economic Lobby in Germany is greater than in Switzerland,” says Zahner. “Football is not a million, but a billion-dollar business. The threshold to make such a decision, there’s still a lot higher.”
Serious consequences of the Situation about TV rights. 35 million per year is the value of the contract, the UPC and the Swiss cable network operator with Swiss Ice Hockey completed, and is valid until 2022. The lion’s share of this money goes to the Clubs in the National League, and the Playoff is their piece of filet. It should be understood, therefore, also financially, if Steffi Buchli, the program Director of MySports, says: “For us, it makes a difference whether the games will be postponed to a later date or whether there is a shortening of the Playoff.”
That MySports would benefit in the spirit of play because of the Playoff-hungry may not be in the stadium assuaged, doubts Buchli. Your station sold a sublicense to the game in Bern against Fribourg from Friday to the SCB, the sold it to “BlickTV” to offer his Fans the opportunity to watch the game. However, the product Playoff also works on TV without an audience, just as a Curiosity.
Buchli finds: “a round without spectators is awesome. The Entertainment is the most important essence is missing.” It is now important not to fall into the hustle and bustle and to look, first of all, what on Monday, the announcement was, says Buchli. And: “The Situation is so special, the once in a lifetime.”
at least That is the hope.
icebreaker – Hockey Podcast by Tamedia
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Created: 29.02.2020, at 22:55
