Mannheim's Matthias Plachta and Munich's Patrick Hager will fight for the puck in April 2019
Photo:
Uwe Anspach / DPA
The German Ice Hockey League (DEL) criticizes the restriction of the hall capacity to 20 percent.
Because no economic game operation was possible under these conditions, the first division clubs decided that the season should only begin when politicians committed to pay 60 million euros in aid.
SPIEGEL
: Mr. Tripcke, you say that there would be no first division ice hockey this season without EUR 60 million from the federal government.
Is that a sincere cry for help or a ransom note?
Tripcke
: It's not an ultimatum, but a clear indication to politicians of how our situation is.
So it is nothing else than what is happening in other branches of the economy.
There are enough examples of this.
We point out that our business model is not possible due to Corona.
We make a tremendous living from the spectators in the halls.
The clubs generate up to 80 percent of our sales locally on match days.
The DEL turns over 120 to 130 million euros per year.
We are currently missing at least half of them.
Such is the situation.
SPIEGEL
: Politics does help.
There is even an aid package for sport with 200 million euros.
Tripcke
: That's right.
Up to 800,000 euros to compensate for lost ticket income should be given per club for 2020.
But that's not enough.
In addition, there are still no binding notices that the clubs will benefit from the program.
The fact remains that we simply cannot manage this on our own at the moment.
We can't start playing now, and by Christmas we'll be bankrupt.
That doesn't help anyone.
At the moment we have the ironic situation that the state supports the clubs more with the short-time work allowance than when we start playing with a limited number of spectators.
In my opinion, however, it makes a lot more sense to keep an entire industry alive.
Especially since we don't pay millions in salaries to athletes.
SPIEGEL
: Is there a plan B if the money doesn't come?
Tripcke
: We have several scenarios at any point in time.
We have to watch the situation.
Perhaps there will still be an opportunity to increase the number of fans in the halls.
We definitely want to play again.
And we won't cancel the season.
We owe that to the fans, partners, players, the youngsters and the national team.
SPIEGEL
: Why can handball and basketball players start?
Is ice hockey that much more expensive?
Tripcke
: We usually have significantly more fans, at least 2.6 million per season.
Unfortunately, this also makes us more dependent on ticket income.
Ice hockey is actually an extremely expensive sport.
We have teams twice as big as handball players or basketball players, we need ice rinks, we have extensive trips with special baggage.
And the equipment is expensive.
Every player can break several clubs for 300 euros each.
Icon: enlarge
This is how ice hockey works in Germany: A choreography by fans of the Kölner Haie in January 2019
Photo:
Rolf Vennenbernd / dpa
SPIEGEL
: The second ice hockey league wants to play.
Is the situation different there?
Tripcke
: There are just fewer fans.
And up to 1000 fans are allowed almost everywhere.
The targeted 800,000 euros per club would also help significantly more to compensate for the fans' losses.
SPIEGEL
: What is the situation like in other countries?
Tripcke
: In Austria there is a kind of state fully comprehensive insurance.
In Sweden, Finland and Switzerland, the leagues have much better TV contracts because ice hockey is the number one sport there.
In Switzerland, two thirds of the seats can be sold.
There is also an option there for clubs to apply for long-term interest-free loans in the millions.
SPIEGEL
: Have you received any signals that something could move in your favor?
Tripcke
: The sports politicians we spoke to are all very understanding.
But unfortunately that is not yet having a significant impact.
We must and will continue to fight.
Icon: The mirror
