Switzerland is applying for the Ice Hockey World Cup 2026
The two ZSC Lions players Ludovic Waeber, left, and Christian Marti make the first shot on goal in the new stadium during a construction site tour in the Swiss Life Arena.Image: keystone
Ice cream master Zaugg
Switzerland is applying for the Ice Hockey World Championship 2026. If we get the bid, the tournament will be held in Zurich and Friborg. Lausanne no longer has a chance.
The 2026 World Cup will be awarded at the congress of the international federation (IIHF) during this year’s title fights in Tampere and Helsinki (May 13th to 29th). Besides Switzerland, only Kazakhstan is applying.
It is already clear where the World Cup will be held IF Switzerland wins the bid: In the new hockey temple of the ZSC Lions in Zurich and in the new arena in Friborg. In 2020 the World Cup would have been held in Zurich and Lausanne. The tournament had to be canceled due to the virus crisis.
Why not more Lausanne? “Who said that? Nothing has been decided at all and if you write that Lausanne is no longer in the running, then that is a lie. ” This is what SCB senior sports director and IIHF government member Raëto Raffainer says. The hockey political jack-of-all-trades is also included in the “World Cup 2026 in Switzerland” project.
And why does the chronicler write anyway that Lausanne is out of the running? Well, he inquired at the very top. With IIHF Honorary President René Fasel. The Freiburg resident has given up his post to the French Luc Tardif. But in the cathedrals of world ice hockey, his word is still gospel.
The smart, bustling Raëto Raffainer (39) is only at the beginning of a great international career as a functionary. He still has to be a diplomat. René Fasel (71) can look back on one of the greatest career as an official in our sports history. He enjoys the privilege of not having to be a diplomat every now and then. And so he says: “If Switzerland gets the 2026 World Cup, Lausanne will definitely not be the venue. We just had too many problems with Lausanne for the 2020 World Cup. The second venue will be Freiburg. ”
He has to know and is allowed to say it. Raëto Raffainer probably also knows and is not allowed to say it. The second venue will definitely be in western Switzerland. That’s the way it should be. After all, the cradle of our hockey is in French-speaking Switzerland. Since Lausanne is on the agenda as announced from the top, only Friborg is an option.
The new arena is considered fit for the World Cup through and through. The big advantage: spacious outbuildings to accommodate the entire infrastructure. The hotel offer is small. But it is possible to switch to accommodation as far as Bern. René Fasel says: “Friborg would be a good World Cup venue.” Would be because the 2026 World Cup has not yet been taken.
The question now remains: Will Switzerland get the 2026 World Cup? The chances are pretty good because our country was unable to host the 2020 World Cup because of the virus crisis. But Kazakhstan also has a good candidacy. The candidates have already confirmed that they absolutely want to and do not withdraw the candidacy.
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