Biel boss Villard was counting on Matikainen: “If it no longer fits, we will respond”

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EHC Biel has put the heavy wave of injuries behind it and the number two can gradually make full use of it again. Fabio Hofer (32), another key player, is set to make a comeback this weekend. And so two players, Ville Pokka (29, from Bern) and Ramon Tanner (24, from the SCL Tigers), were recently transferred to the league.

Nevertheless, the sporting situation is very threatening: place 11, only 4 points reserve on playout place 13, but already 6 points behind play-in place 10 and an incredible 13 points behind position 6, which is necessary for direct play-off qualification.

It is of course a great shame that we recently had a zero points weekend with defeats against the ZSC Lions (2:3) and the SCL Tigers (1:2). After the bankruptcy in the Emmental, controversial coach Petri Matikainen (56) invited everyone to a record-breaking 50-minute hut sermon. “Of course our situation is unsatisfactory. There are several reasons why it happened and that is why it is more difficult to come to terms with it than if there were only one reason,” explains CEO Daniel Villard (50). Nevertheless, he still believes we can turn the corner and reach the playoffs, at least through the play-in detour.

Villard likes the morale of the coaches

About Matikainen, who is popular with fans and in the media, Villard said: “Of course we are not satisfied with his points total. But I like how the coaching team works tirelessly, always looks for solutions, deals with this situation and the increased pressure and therefore does not give in.”

Elsewhere, Matikainen would probably have already lost his job, but in the watch city of Biel, despite the increased expectations after the last dream season, things work a little differently. Villard said: “We didn’t lose our nerve when Antti Törmänen or Kevin Schläpfer lost ten games. And we stick to this strategy. Matikainen’s work is assessed weekly by our sporting management with sports director Martin Steinegger and as long as we are convinced of the coach’s trajectory, we see no reason to change anything.

He also has no confidence that if Matikainen is removed, everything will suddenly be much better again.

There is also no free ticket in Biel

But of course no coach has a free pass. Not even in Biel. And neither does Matikainen. Villard: “If the day comes when we are convinced it is no longer appropriate, we will respond. But at the moment there are no signs of that,” Villard said. Matikainen is therefore still doing well not to record a second zero points weekend in a row on Friday against Bern (live from 7.25 pm on Blick TV) and on Saturday against Fribourg before the Nati break next week.

There was also a lot of surprise at EHC Biel this week because the Seeläns transferred Ramon Tanner to the SCL Tigers until the end of December, thus helping a direct competitor that currently needs a striker. Because if the Bielers want to reach the top 10 and therefore the play-in, there is a good chance that they will have to overtake Langnau or Ambri – or perhaps both. Villard responds to this criticism: “We are currently in the situation that we have too many players. Too many players in training and in the stands does not help us, it only causes unrest. So it helps Ramon if he can play, and it helps us if he stays in the right rhythm of the game.”

Source : Blick