Old rivals Langenthal and Olten reunite in the show

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They are no longer in the same league. But they share the same concerns: After Olten, Langenthal has now also fired the manager. The impeachment of Langenthal's Robert Osman was not only more high-profile than that of Gary Sheehan. It was even one of the most spectacular plays in the modern history of our hockey.

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Hockey Huttwil swept SC Langenthal 8:2 (2:0, 3:0, 3:2) in MyHockey League action on Saturday night. It was a fun, entertaining and educational night of hockey, complete with a dramatic final act that unfortunately will no longer be performed in front of a valuable audience of 737 fans: Coach Robert Langenthal Robert Othmann was still on campus half an hour after the last siren sounded. The office is at the opponent's stadium.

Langenthaler have been playing in the same league as Heartwell since their voluntary relegation from the Swiss League in the spring of 2023, so they have lost all their games against their original opponents. A total of seven Test matches and Championship matches. But last Saturday's 2:8 was the mother of all previous failures. On the one hand, this can be attributed to the quality of Huttwil's squad, a strong, well-drilled, tactically smart and balanced top team that has been carefully managed by head coach Daniel Bieri and sporting director Max Dreher. It has been built for many years and has no obvious weaknesses. point of view.

But it was also due to Langenthaler's poor form that it was worrying that head coach Robert Osman was fired that night after losing the sixth game with a goal difference of 12:35.

After the final siren sounded, the second dramatic part of the derby began at the Heartville campus. Langenthal's dressing room door was closed for a long time, and the then-coach Robert Othmann, an otherwise friendly man, had no time to speak briefly with a reporter from the local newspaper “Unter-Emmentaler” Talking about the game, God and the world of hockey. “. He hurried to the meeting in the “media room” below the stadium bar, visibly stressed and upset. Almost half an hour after the game, president Walter Ryser and board of directors responsible for sports affairs Simon Flucchi Simon Flückiger announced his resignation.

Fortunately, cult and court photographer Marcel Bieri was not there to watch the game for the first time. Otherwise he would be in the media room editing photos. “Divorce” will be made public via email at 8:54 a.m. Sunday. No more drama: Langenthal's coach was released immediately after the defeat in the media room of the archrival's stadium. It's a bit like SCB firing its coach after a derby defeat in the media room at the Hockey Temple in Langnau.

The question, of course, is: Why did Robert Osman fail? The 48-year-old dual citizen of Canada and Switzerland, who has played for Basel, Olten, Scheer and Biel, among others, led the team to the playoffs last season after being voluntarily relegated, and the team was actually in “Greenfield” regrouped. . He is considered a coach with excellent technical skills and excellent social skills.

His rather gentle leadership style was just right during a difficult season, when the main goal was to keep the team together and encourage players rather than (overly) challenge them. This starting point is also a “hockey romance” adventure. Taking what may on paper be the weakest team in the league into the playoffs is a masterstroke.

Now, having been promoted this season, SC Langenthal are nominally one of the best teams, averaging 1138 points per game (1830 points per game in the Swiss League last year) and are considered the “Croissos” of the league, with Comprehensive “movement of war chests.” The season goal of sixth place “directly advancing to the playoffs” is quite realistic. But rarely does a team's chemistry change so much from one season to the next. The arrival of alpha figures such as Philip Ahlström, Patrick Bandiera or Gauthier Girardin requires a different leadership style. Robert Osman should be more like an authoritarian “gang general” than an empathetic trainer. But he didn't succeed. He cannot jump over his own shadow.

So a coach who is popular with his players must go to Langenthal. Simon Flückiger said the new boss must now find a balance between demands and support and he deeply regretted the failure of Robert Osman. We will spend a few days planning for succession and working with the new trainer to develop a goal of adapting to the changed initial situation. “We are 11 points behind sixth place and it will be ambitious to continue to hold on to this goal. It now also depends on when our injured players return to the team.” Olten and Langenthal said on the coach's dismissal and target adjustment Unity in dramatic events.

Gary Sheehan was released from EHC Olten this season.Image: fxp-fr-sda-rtp

A capable management team surrounding President Walter Ryser need not be blamed for mistakes and oversights. She simply underestimated the difficulty and time involved in building a new, competitive MyHockey League team. Walter Ryser, who has enjoyed cult status as a chronicler over the years and has written with a razor-sharp pen about several of Langenthal's coaches, has at least one consolation: Now he is a real president. Because there is only one man in hockey who is truly president, he orchestrated the impeachment of the coach. “You could say that,” he said in his characteristically friendly self-deprecating way.

One of the candidates for the coaching position is Gary Sheehan, who is temporarily coaching Franches Montagnes in the MyHockey League after being sacked by Ajoy. Walter Reiser said: “Yes, I know him well.” Garry Sheehan was less optimistic: “I don't think the Langenthalers could accept my salary. Time will tell.” If Langenthaler It would be a true act of hockey romance and a true sporting friendship for the people of Gental to ensure that the people of Olten no longer have to pay the salary of the sacked Gary Sheehan.

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