Proud ÖEHV team manager

“On a good day, we can challenge any nation”

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

A few weeks ago, the national ice hockey team confidently made it to the A World Championship. In the krone.tv sports talk with presenter Martin Grasl, ÖEHV team boss Roger Bader talks about the spectacular games in the Czech Republic, what he learned after the big event, the upcoming Olympic qualification and his affinity for soccer and anticipation of the European Championship. 

Belief in victory, bitter end
The red-white-red ice hockey cracks have played their way into the hearts of the fans with performances worth seeing. Especially the performances against Canada (7:6 defeat n.V.) and Finland (3:2 victory) will be remembered for a long time. Bader himself gives an insight into the transition phase between the two games. "I've already made it clear to the team that we can beat Finland," said the Swiss, who has been the national team coach since 2016. 

This makes it all the more bitter that they failed to bring the necessary energy to the ice in the final group game. Austria suffered a 2:4 defeat against the latecomers and later relegated team from the World Championship - a game that Bader was still thinking about weeks later. In the end, however, the positives outweighed the negatives.

Next mission: Olympic qualification
The national team's next important appearance awaits at the end of August when it comes to an Olympic ticket for 2026. From August 29 to September 1, Rossi and Co will play three matches against hosts Slovakia, Kazakhstan and Hungary. With the right attitude and luck, they can emerge victorious as underdogs. Watch the full interview with team manager Roger Bader in the video!