[ad_1]
Always up close: the film crew on a shoot in Ilfishalle. Image: Sven Schoch
“And then came the hammer” – Dok-Filmer accompanied the SCL Tigers during the pandemic
How much does a sports club have that financially is not a bed of roses to fight to survive in the crisis of the crown? A “MySports” movie investigates this question, for which the SCL Tigers were followed for a year. An interview with producer Sven Schoch.
From one hundred to zero. One day to another. When the corona pandemic turned our lives upside down more than a year ago, it didn’t spare professional sports either. The Swiss ice hockey championship was canceled and the clubs faced an uncertain future.
Perhaps more than other teams, the SCL Tigers were affected by it. At home in the quiet Langnau in Emmental, a town with less than 10,000 inhabitants. But tigers are the pride of this town and of the entire valley. The people of Langnau confidently refer to their area as “Hockey Country”.
«Tigres players actively participate in the life of the town. The club has a high priority in Langnau and the solidarity with him was remarkable at this time of crisis, ”said sports journalist Sven Schoch. “There is nothing like it in this region.” As a producer, he shot a documentary with co-author Gabriel Gasser, which will celebrate its television premiere on Easter Sunday (8.15pm, MySports One). The filmmakers call the club a “beacon” because of its importance to the region. And they wonder if this wretched crown will eat the tigers.
To cut to the chase: the virus failed to kill the big cats. But the fact that the club still exists today is anything but a matter of course. The Emmental tiger has sometimes approached the red list of endangered species.
Sven Schoch (co-author and producer) and Gabriel Gasser (co-author and director). images: zvg
“One crisis meeting followed the next”
“At first, the situation in Langnau was perhaps a bit understated,” says Schoch, recalling last summer when he started working on the film. “But soon everyone in the club noticed the rope tightening. Especially in the phase where nobody knew if and when the new season would start. “
It was a huge sigh of relief when it was possible to play despite the pandemic in the fall, even with the fans in the stadium. “And then came the hammer,” says Schoch. ‘It happened in quick succession. First, the canton of Bern banned spectators, then the federal government. A blow to the neck followed the other. That also affected me. “
If this was the case of the stranger, it was more so for those affected. There were also players who did not show anything. But many no longer felt comfortable. “One crisis meeting followed the next. It was then that he noticed that the players had serious livelihood problems. They were afraid that the club would not survive this crisis and, of course, they were also afraid of losing their jobs.
Information about the cabin, the “sanctuary” of each team. Image: Sven Schoch
He went so far that, for example, defense attorney Yannick Blaser said he had already asked his colleagues if there was a job as a warehouse clerk or some other job for him. “The players were very aware of what was at stake and how much money the club was missing,” Schoch recorded. The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Peter Jakob, made it clear to the team that the most important thing was not to crash the club in its 75th year of existence.
A lot of pressure, even if no one descends this season
“You recognized as a teammate that the club’s survival is the top priority,” Schoch says of the bottom of the NL table. “But as soon as it was played, it was different, then it was all or nothing, like always.”
That may be surprising, as there are no teams relegated this season. A defeat more or less, who cares? The answer: coach and player. “Despite everything, the pressure is great,” Schoch said. “All the players want to get a contract again, whether in Langnau or elsewhere. They also always play for their future. ”
Schoch made a documentary on HC Davos last season and compared it to the following: “Crisis, setbacks, suffering – this is definitely not a jubilee movie.”
From the same cinema kitchen:
In these turbulent times, it was particularly valuable that the SCL Tigers had sensible leadership around President Jakob. “People help each other in Langnau, in an honest way and in shirt sleeves. Not much is said about the bush, but in simple language,” says Schoch. Langnau is a place of short distances. It is not like in GC, where a Chinese company is in charge. At the Emmental, people are tangible, you can even give them your opinion. “
Also there when the technician announced his departure to the team.
One whom Corona affected even more than others was Samuel Erni. The 29-year-old from Thurgau fell ill with Covid-19 and had to contend with a fairly severe course of the disease. “He suffered a lot because of it, it wasn’t good at all. And he openly admitted it, ”Schoch said, impressed. A moving moment for the filmmaker, such as the one that allowed the film crew to accompany the crew to the crown tests, complying with strict protective measures.
Samuel Erni talks about his illness: “I would have preferred to break a bone, then I would have known that I would be back in six weeks.” Video: YouTube / MySports
But the most impressive thing for him was a different experience, says Schoch. “When coach Rikard Franzén got in front of the team and told them he was only okay until the end of the season and then he had to go, we were there with the camera, but we kept quietly in the background. The players had heard the news from the media, Franzén was very angry about it. When he confirmed the separation, he was very quiet in the cockpit. Hardly anyone knew what to say, most of the eyes were on the ground. It is certainly special as a television viewer to experience something like this. “
Schoch was impressed by the professionalism with which the Swede came to terms with the separation. “Of course he was crooked, but he never let it show and he worked as seriously as before the decision. Franzén would have liked to stay because he was convinced that he could still make a difference at Langnau. But he knows how the hockey business works and that it’s very tough. “
A hard-hitting behind-the-scenes look at a sports SME
Schoch is convinced that the documentary of him and Gasser is not only interesting to SCL Tigers fans for stories like this. “It is for everyone who always thinks that sport is a simple business where you can make a lot of money with a little training and play. It’s great to see the other side of the coin. Like those ‘cramps’ that are not up and for whom nothing simply falls into their lap “.
The journalist believes that this experience is good for all fans. “We are often quick with terms like ‘millionaires’, but these athletes are definitely wrong. SCL Tigers players are authentic. And we show it bluntly, not through yellow and red Langnau glasses, but pure and without makeup. “
In February, the anniversary was inevitably celebrated without celebration:
THANKS FOR THE ♥
Would you like to support Watson and journalism? Learn more
(You will be redirected to complete the payment)
