Patrick Fischer, who had been in the post since 2015 and led the team to three Olympics and three world championship silver medals, admitted he made a serious mistake by traveling to Beijing with false paperwork. According to The Independent - Sport, Patrick Fischer described being very sorry if he disappointed people with this situation, adding that he was in an extraordinary personal crisis because he didn't want to be vaccinated but didn't want to let his team down at the Olympic Games. His team reached the quarter-finals at the 2022 Olympics, where COVID-19 testing was required and the NHL stayed away due to the pandemic.
Swiss public broadcaster SRF confronted Fischer with documents showing he was fined nearly 39,000 Swiss francs in 2023 for document forgery after buying the certificate on social media. Fischer went public with his admission shortly after SRF's confrontation, which triggered a broader public debate.
I made a serious mistake in this matter.
The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation initially supported Fischer, saying the case was closed because he admitted his mistake. However, federation president Urs Kessler said the case triggered a public debate about values and trust, and that from today's perspective, the initial assessment was too short-sighted. This led to the federation's reversal and Fischer's dismissal on Wednesday.
Switzerland hosts the world championship next month, and Fischer was already due to step down after that. Jan Cadieux, Switzerland's former under-20 coach, will take over immediately as Fischer's replacement, ensuring a smooth transition ahead of the upcoming tournament.
The case is legally closed but has triggered a public debate about values and trust, which the federation takes very seriously. From today's perspective, our initial assessment — that the matter was concluded — was too short-sighted. This is about values and respect, that are fundamental to Swiss Ice Hockey and which Patrick Fischer did not uphold in 2022.
Ahead of the 2022 Olympics, China had strict COVID-19 rules requiring athletes to be vaccinated or quarantine for three weeks, as Swiss snowboarder Patrizia Kummer did. These regulations were part of the stringent measures in place during the pandemic, which influenced Fischer's decision to use the false certificate to avoid quarantine and participate in the Games.
I'm very sorry if I've disappointed people with this situation. I was in an extraordinary personal crisis because I didn't want to be vaccinated. At the same time I certainly didn't want to let my team down at the Olympic Games.