It would make sense for René Fasel to appear as the honorary president of world hockey at the ongoing World Championships in Helsinki and Tempere. But no one has seen him there yet. Also because the Finnish organizers don’t care about him.
A few days ago, the president of Finnish hockey, Harri Nummel, confirmed to the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that he had not invited Fasela.
The situation is different at the International Hockey Federation, from which the 72-year-old Swiss received an official invitation. He is the honorary president of this organization and until recently he headed it. It was not until September 2021 that he was succeeded by Luc Tardif, a Frenchman born in Canada, after 27 years of reign.
However, it is not clear whether Fasel will use the invitation. “I know that behind the scenes, he was tactfully told that he should seriously think about whether he was actually coming,” Finnish hockey director Matti Nurminen told Yle station.
“If he had not come, everything would of course have been smoother,” said President Nummela.
Fasel is an unwelcome guest due to his relationship with Russia. For example, he refused to exclude the team and Belarus from the world championship due to Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
“A sad moment in the history of the IIHF,” he commented on the federation’s decision. “Even during the Cold War, the Soviet Union played with the United States, with Canada… Even in such a tense situation, sport must bring a message of peace and unite the people. . “
In the past, Fasel described himself as a friend of the Russians, and just before leaving the IIHF, he took part in an exhibition event by Russian President Putin. His words surprised so few.
“The war cannot weaken my love for Russia, I love the Russians,” he told the Swiss daily La Liberté in March.
Later, there were reports in the Russian media that Fasel had become a KHL adviser, which the official denied. He admitted that when acquaintances called him and asked him for advice, he was happy to answer, but he refused to sign or to sign a contract in the future. Even so, it provoked another wave of resentment.
“It is a disgrace to the hockey family. If it is confirmed that it works for the KHL, the European Union should impose sanctions on it. It will not be welcomed to the World Cup in Finland under any circumstances,” former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb wrote on the social network.
Fasel has been silent in recent weeks, but has been working behind the scenes behind the scenes as he recently approached Kalervo Kummola, who has served as vice president of world hockey and is still an influential figure in Finland, in an interview with MTV Uutiset.
“He wasn’t sure if he was coming to Tampere,” Kummola said of the conversation with the Swiss. “He would like to, but the IIHF may not have the same opinion. I don’t know what the final decision will be, but it would be better for the tournament if he didn’t arrive.”
“We talked for the first time since September last year,” Kummola continued. He revealed that he had a strong friendship with Fasel in the early 1990s, but that changed when the Swiss dentist became head of world hockey in 1994 at the expense of Finn Kaie Hietarinta. Fassel’s rapprochement with Putin in the new millennium also damaged their relationship.
“It gradually changed him. I wonder how someone from Switzerland can be so pro-Russian,” Kummola added.
