The former boss of world hockey does not want to see the world championship. Because of friendship with Russia

When foreign functionaries removed our hockey players from the World Championship, they hoped not only to punish the Russians, but also to turn the sports community against them. However, ordinary fans have not reacted in any way to the Red Machine missing the tournament. Fans are busy worries about their national teams, not empty gloating.

Officials, it seems, this development of events is not at hand. And so they decided to continue their Russophobic actions, choosing a new target. And from their own ranks!

This time it went to… Rene Fasel himself. What did the former president of the International Ice Hockey Federation suffer for?

“Kindly said backstage”

When on May 19, 2017, at the IIHF Congress, the cities of Helsinki and Tampere were chosen to host the World Championship in 2022, the president of the organization, Rene Fasel, did not suspect how this decision would come back to haunt him five years later, when he had already left the honorary post.

On the eve of Finland’s hard-fought match against Latvia, Matti Nurminen, who will take over as IIHF general secretary in the summer, was asked about Fasel’s visit to Finland.

– Officially, he is an honorary chairman and received an invitation. I know he was kindly told backstage that perhaps he should seriously consider coming.

Matti Nurminen / Photo: © Tomi Hänninen / Newspix24 / Global Look Press

At first glance, Nurminen made an incorrect statement, clearly discrediting the honor of his colleague, moreover, more experienced and famous than the Finn himself, and this attack should have been strictly evaluated in the organization itself. However, Matti enjoys the 100% support of the head of the IIHF, Luc Tardif, who considers the Finn an unsurpassed professional in his field. And this means that he will not have to answer for his words.

Moreover, even former Prime Minister of Finland Alexander Stubb made similar statements. The politician said back in March that Fasel should no longer have anything to do with the World Cup in Finland.

Too close to Russia

Why does the honored manager, who has been at the helm of the International Federation for 27 years, get so much? The answer is simple: Fasel maintains business relations with Russia.

In September 2021, at the semi-annual IIHF congress in St. Petersburg, our managers offered the released Swiss a working cooperation with the KHL and received a positive response.

Photo: © RIA Novosti / Alexei Nikolsky

Apparently, the international organization thought that in the spring Fasel would change his mind, but the Swiss turned out to be much more persistent than most foreign hockey officials, and continued to cooperate with the Russians.

This fact itself is already causing dissatisfaction among the Finns. According to the local Yle, any support for the KHL as a league closely associated with the Russian authorities should be condemned. Statements like these make your eyes pop. Probably, the veil of Russophobia overshadowed the remnants of common sense for the Finns.

Our neighbors believe that this working communication between Fasel and the KHL spoils the image of world hockey, but it seems that Nurminen and his colleagues are mistaken. If anyone is hurting the sports community, it is the discriminatory language and unethical behavior of executives like Matti.