This is how the Blick reporters type: Opinions differ at SCB

Marcel Allemann:
“Kloten has to eat hard bread”

You can’t be much more wrong. Last season I put Biel in 10th place, the Zeelanders came second and eventually almost became champions. However, I would like to give one more tip.

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I see the ZSC Lions and Zug at the top. They are no longer interested in being beaten by the competition or realizing their enormous potential. Behind them are the once again strong champions Servette and Davos, as I trust coach Josh Holden to get the record champions on track.

I see the solid Lakers ahead of Bern and Lugano, who are hungry for a revival. And then Biel (yes, I’m doing it again) and Fribourg. Ambri saves herself with fire and passion in 10th place. Behind her, Langnau and Ajoie are enjoying a revival. I still don’t trust Lausanne and put it in 13th place. And so for Kloten, who lived beyond his means last season and faces the demanding year of confirmation, only the Red Lantern remains. But the Kloten fans don’t have to be angry. Just remember my Biel tip from last year and everything will be fine.

Dinosaur Kessler:
“Even more stars, even more pressure for the ZSC”

Even more stars, even more pressure – the sometimes erratic transfer policy puts the ZSC Lions in an uncomfortable situation: only the title is good enough. Difficult enough if you have to look back on the last play-off campaigns with nightmares.

Can Lausanne break the trend of being first class, but not first class? Yes. At some point something has to be done.
Can Fribourg slow down the downward spiral that is accelerating? No. This could be extremely uncomfortable for coach Dubé, because Dubé will be permanently replaced as team leader next season – a bizarre situation.

Ambri in 13th place? This is the punishment for the excessive ticket and sausage prices. The SCB in 5th place? Hope sometimes blossoms in strange ways, but if coach Tapola doesn’t get distracted by the commotion around the club, direct play-off qualification won’t even remain a pipe dream.

Nicole Vandenbrouck:
“Fribourg continues to weaken”

Too many teams have to rehabilitate themselves for last season’s failures; some will not succeed.

The ambitions and expectations at EVZ are still very high. This requires more consistency after the last difficult qualification (6th). The club is still dealing with the Leonardo Genoni file, the master goalkeeper’s contract is expiring. Will there be an agreement before the start of the season and therefore peace in the dressing room? A return to the top is possible.

The SCB, on the other hand, must be patient until the long-awaited revival begins. Despite two new foreigners (Nemeth, Honka), the defense is the potential weak point.

Fribourg continues to weaken as there are big question marks behind the two personalities Reto Berra and Chris DiDomenico. Does the goalkeeper stay fit? Is the spitfire under control?

Euphoria and adrenaline still linger in Kloten, but reality is catching up with the residents of Zurich. Repeating last crazy season will be too much of a challenge for new coach Gerry Fleming.

Gregory Beaud:
“Lakers could be ripe for a bad season”

A three-tier society is emerging in the National League. This year the trio rules Zurich, Geneva and Zug. And this time Lugano is my wildcard. The team from Ticino has made excellent transfers, especially with foreigners. I expect a huge season from the fantastic ex-Klotener Arttu Ruotsalainen.

Will Lausanne be able to return to the play-offs alongside the teams from French-speaking Switzerland? Reconstruction after Hurricane Svoboda is on schedule, even though the road is still long.

The Lakers in 10th place? This is my riskiest prediction, as St. Gallen was in third place last season. But they could be ripe for a bad season – the first since 2018-19. After years of regularity, a setback could come for the Obersee team. But the Lakers will mainly compete with Biel and Fribourg for a place in the top 6. Gottéron is the most unpredictable team – a spitting image of Irrlicht Chris DiDomenico, who is back after a year in Bern.

Stephen Roth:
“Tapola will get Bern on the right track – if you give him the chance”

There are always surprises. They’re just hard to predict, otherwise they wouldn’t be. And yet sometimes it is impossible to resist the temptation to predict a surprise. Last year I failed with Ambri (tip: 6. Reality: 12). This time I am confident that the SCL Tigers will make a big impact and finish 10th, as great progress was already seen last year. The Tigers made the jump to the play-in, which replaces the pre-playoffs, at the expense of the Lakers, whose fantastic run can’t last forever.

You can be especially enthusiastic about the SCB. The new coach Jussi Tapola knows what he is doing. And if you let the successful Finnish coach do his thing, he will get the Bernese team back on track. It will take a little patience. When it is pointed out that this has not been a priority in Bern in recent years, the Finn laughs heartily. He seems to have a sense of humor. He can use that.

The ZSC Lions and Zug are back at the top.