In September 2023, when he was appointed president of Swiss Ice Hockey, Stefan Schärer presented himself as a visionary who would propel the product into another dimension. The former handball player, bearer of the Swiss flag during the opening ceremony of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, was presented as a genius who would quickly gain unanimous support.
The picture was not entirely wrong. In just over a year, President Schärer, who was forced to submit his resignation this Thursday, managed to create unanimity against him.
According to our sources, the delegates of the 14 National League teams considered that his appointment constituted a casting error and strongly suggested that he choose to return his mandate before being forced to do so.
Within the hockey staff of the Swiss team, the bond of trust had been broken since Schärer had threatened coach Patrick Fischer with dismissal if his team did not overcome the pitfall of the quarter-finals at the 2024 World Championship in the Czech Republic .
Once the silver medal was won, the two parties hardly spoke to each other and ice men regularly told us of their fear of finding themselves in the crosshairs of their president’s moods.
In the offices of the Federation, where employees described a toxic work climate to us and where several quality people chose to take another professional path, employees even threatened to go on strike if Stefan Schärer remained their boss . A scenario which was drawn up during the Christmas meal to which Schärer was not invited.
Although he had long said that he would not leave, Stefan Schärer ultimately had no choice but to leave when he realized that his supporters had become fewer in number than the fingers of ‘a carpenter’s hand.
At the Federation, we are told that “this Thursday is a great day for Swiss hockey, the best day of the year.” Year during which the Swiss men’s team still brought home a World Cup medal…
