Sergei Savelyev: “The story with Fedotov shows the spinelessness of the head of the IIHF”

Athletistic/Hockey. The general director of the German club Krefeld, Sergei Savelyev, responded to the scandalous situation with the performance of goalkeeper Ivan Fedotov for CSKA. The official criticized the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Luc Tardif, for his delay and inaction.

“Enough time has passed for me to express the thoughts that have been running through my head for a long time. The silence of the IIHF on the Fedotov case confirms the fact that the international federation has perhaps the weakest president and the most spineless of all time. You We can blame René Fasel as much as we want for his love for Russia, but under him, hockey developed steadily. Under him, there were prestigious championships of the world, adults and young people, Olympic Games with NHL players, screenings, sponsors, etc.

What’s happening now?

During the entire reign of Tardif, only the last World Cup in Latvia and Finland can be called tolerable in terms of organization, and this is largely thanks to the country of my friends, where I grew up – Latvia. It was a magnificent performance from the Baltic Republic. The emotion of the tournament was just at its limit, which was very cool. But what about the return on investment? I’m not talking about any profit. Whatever anyone says, the IIHF must make money.

Under Tardif’s reign, there have already been many failures: idiotic MFM rules, adult world championships, terrible YWCH broadcasts and highlights, etc. I don’t want to talk about the Champions League at all. However, it is the situation with Fedotov that shows Tardif’s weakness and complete lack of backbone. Of course, he does not make decisions alone, but he can very well impose certain actions. Moreover, for the rest of the world – even if he takes tough measures against Russian hockey, no one in today’s realities will say a word to him.

But it turns out that Russia and Belarus should not be allowed to participate in the World Cup, but no overall decision is made. Due to the Russian Federation not participating in the World Cup, the IIHF loses first. After all, Russian participation includes sponsors, fans, etc. In the end, titular and historic confrontations. But at the same time, the IIHF is not taking stricter measures. Fears! After all, you can lose one of the leading hockey countries forever,” Savelyev wrote on his Telegram channel.

Previously, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) disqualified the Russian goaltender until January 1, 2024 and also banned international transfers until August 1, 2024. The reason for Fedotov’s withdrawal was the illegal signing of a contract with CSKA Moscow. However, Fedotov appears in the starting lineup of CSKA in every match of the upcoming season.