Sport against shopkeepers – what a cultural hockey battle in the Bern area!

Eismeister Zaugg

Sport against shopkeepers – what a cultural hockey battle in the Bern area!

The Langnauers invest in the team and land a world-class forward, but at SC Bern, sport no longer plays a role. Never in history have there been greater differences in the corporate culture of these two legendary institutions of Berne culture.

There is no other way. We have to try Gotthelf again to be able to tell this story. After all, the works of the militant pastor are part of world literature. Who can prevent a sportswriter, constantly struggling to find the right words, from referring to a world-class poet prince? And we will also refer to an old Russian proverb.

Gotthelf’s favorite subject before the founding of modern Switzerland was the cultural battle between city and country. Between the modern zeitgeist and the noble guardians of eternal values. He polemicized against the impious priests and merchants of the urban areas. He idealized the noble and pious farmer of the Emmental in the back, who was recovering from his daily work in the light of the setting sun in Läubli. The ideal world of Annebäbeli, Vreneli, Stüdi and Lisi, Hansli, Ueli, Joggeli and Sami. Humility, simplicity and purity. Everything well arranged according to the eternal law of giving and receiving.

And now we are experiencing a new edition of this culture war in hockey. The SCL Tigers have signed Marcus Nilsson (29), the best foreign player currently available on the world hockey market, until the end of the season. SC Bern, on the other hand, no longer values ​​athletic competitiveness in the crisis and steadfastly refuses to sign at least a third foreign outfield player.

So far SCB has only spent money to replace operetta coach Don Nachbaur. SCB coach Marc Lüthi says this change of coach is free. In fact, this theater likely cost more than the Langnauers are now spending for last year’s top scorer engagement in the Swedish league until the end of the season (less than 50,000 francs).

In addition, President Peter Jakob Langnaus finances new foreigners privately. When the sports director Marc Eichmann SMS ordered the member of the supervisory board responsible for the sport, Karl Brügger, to sign the contract in Tiger’s office, he still thought that, in the name of God, he would have to pay the costs. And he was shocked when Marc Eichmann told him that Peter Jakob was paying. Now Karl Brügger has promised in a small circle that he will let himself speak if another foreigner is needed.

Peter Jakob knows that this investment in the team is politically controversial. In January, clubs receive tax money to make up for lost revenue (no audience, “ghost games”). Is it allowed to spend money on transfers during those times? Peter Jakob says: “It is a pondering. We feel great solidarity from our supporters and sponsors. We consider it our duty to offer something in return. Competitiveness in sport is an important point for us, also in front of our fans, sponsors and television partners. “

With this argument he follows the eternal law of the Bernese peasant, according to which it is important in life to maintain a balance between “giving” and “receiving”. In this case: In these difficult times, we are taking money from our fans, from our sponsors, from our television partners. So it is our duty to give them something in return. To ensure that the team remains competitive as much as possible, that it remains fun to watch our matches, even if that is only possible on television at the moment.

Peter Jakob also notes that the money is being handled carefully: “Due to the crisis in the spring, we gave up any transfers and with Harri Pesonen and Chris DiDomenico we lost two of the best foreigners in the league and did not replace them. That’s why we see the signing of Marcus Nilsson as a sensible investment. “

It is also an investment in the future: it is quite possible that the world-class Swedish player, who has left the KHL and was looking for a match elsewhere until the end of the season, will extend his contract. Those who invest wisely now will do better after the crisis. Transfer if you need, then you have time.

Especially in a crisis, when it comes to developing your own players, the positions of sports director and coach are the most important in a sports company.

For cost reasons, SC Bern hired Don Nachbaur, the cheapest coach, and when Florence Schelling was hired as sports director, not only technical, but also advertising and political reasons played a role. The result is devastating: the SCB, with the fourth most expensive team in the league, have already slipped to second from last place behind Langnau (!) In terms of lost points, they are now led by Austrian junior coach Mario Kogler and is going through the biggest sporting crisis since promotion in 1986. It is good that relegation was suspended this season.

SCB manager Marc Lüthi is the sports hockey trader and categorically excludes the involvement of an additional foreign striker, recently dismissing criticism from the sports department management with the observation that not so much fuss should be made about the athletic director do. Years ago he was also a sports director as a coach. However, that was almost 20 years ago. Meanwhile, hockey has become quite a complex business.

It is a bit surprising that the manager of the largest hockey company in Europe with two hockey millionaires as co-owners (Mark Streit, Roman Josi) cannot arrange external financing for a foreign worker. But perhaps I will resign it wisely. Because, after the coaching debacle, he suspects what might happen if this sports department were also left with the task of recruiting additional foreign staff.

The SCB is not so happy with this general situation. Marc Lüthi organized the cheap coach change theater (Don Nachbaur was “motivated” to quit, which he probably didn’t do for free) on December 2. On November 30, the deadline for claiming Saisonabi’s money expired. It is not entirely certain that the exemption rate (more than two-thirds) would have been that high, even taking into account the coach’s operetta. The principle of “give” and “take” is mocked at the SCB.

An old Russian proverb says: “Only the rich can afford cheap shoes.” That means: It is worth investing in important things. If you allow yourself to be seduced by cheap solutions, it will cost you dearly. Who would know better than the Russians, whose footwear has to cope with the cold winters. Transferred to hockey – only rich clubs can afford cheap coaches. Because the costs of follow-up and the damage to the image of a cheap coaching solution (without further development of the team, obligation of a successor) are immense. And indeed, the follow-up costs of Don Nachbaur’s cost-effective solution for sports image and development at SCB cannot yet be estimated.

Now we can object that the chronicler only wants to argue a little. He does not. Daniel Germann, a close confidant of Marc Lüthi and the well-respected and veteran NZZ cartoon editor, who collects all the controversies, has just drawn the two-handed sword in the Sunday edition of the newspaper. We quote:

Plus:

And finally:

Really strong stuff. From someone close to Marc Lüthi and the SCB and who can assess the situation much better than an outside writer who would never dare to criticize the SCB so scathingly.