Ajoie coach Christian Wohlwend has changed: “I had to learn to deal with defeats and mistakes.”

Blick: Christian Wohlwend, what is your opinion after six months at Ajoie?
Christian Wohlwend: We are still in last place and that is not good. But we have taken a step forward to be competitive in the league. We were able to play openly in all but four matches, but often lost them by one goal.

From the outside it seems that at Ajoie you can work in peace despite their position at the table.
Wherever we go, we get a lot of compliments on how well we are playing now. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help us much, because ultimately we want to get more points and not end up last at some point. But everyone, especially those involved in the club, can see that we are no longer just a points provider. Now it’s about continuing this process and gradually improving to take the next step. We will have the time to do this and the necessary patience is available.

What is your vision for HC Ajoie?
First of all, it is important to master the current season as best as possible. And then it’s about developing further for next season and strengthening ourselves, so that we can move from last place and, if possible, from second to last place. That is of course what we are aiming for this season, but we are not there yet.

How big is the play-out final for Ajoie already in your head?
That’s already somewhere in the back of my mind. But we still have fifteen games left, we will concentrate on that and then we will see what situation we find ourselves in. If so, we’re ready for the playouts.

Would you rather play against Kloten or the SCRJ Lakers?
I do not mind.

Does the fact that qualifying for the competition may not be possible because the only eligible clubs, Olten and Visp, are in big trouble in the Swiss league, brings any relief to Ajoie?
We are not going to concern ourselves with that yet. Once again we still have 15 games to go. Let’s see what happens first. After losing points we are close to Kloten and if the hockey gods are in our favor and we can narrowly win the matches we have narrowly lost so far, a lot is still possible. We are therefore focused on these topics with our thoughts and energy.

At the start of the season there was a heated dispute with Friborg coach Christian Dubé. But otherwise you have become very good compared to your previous HCD days in the Jura.
I would think so too. I told you the last time we spoke that I have been purified.

How have you changed?
I had to learn to deal with defeats, goals conceded and mistakes. I was really bad at it. At Ajoie, a club that loses more than it wins, something I was previously not used to as a coach, I was allowed and had to learn this. Of course also in connection with the previous story in Davos and how I reflected afterwards. I also have someone who supports me with ‘coach to coach’. I am now very grateful that I was able to learn this the hard way.

What is meant by ‘from coach to coach’? Are you going to a psychologist?
No, he’s not a psychologist. This is someone who works a lot in football, but also in other sports and was a coach himself.

But you want to keep his name anonymous?
Yes.

How do you learn to lose? I can imagine that being a challenge.
Through my career as a player and coach I have been influenced and inspired by the “old school” style and based on these experiences I have made this style my own. I was more ‘old school’ than ‘new school’ in Davos, with a code of conduct characterized by loudness and impulsiveness. That’s how I learned it. But it turned out that this no longer fits and is also harmful to myself. It was ultimately the reason why I had to go to Davos. The next step for Ajoie was to change and improve myself, so that my behavior is adapted to today’s times. This has allowed me to take a big step in my personal development as a coach.