Sponsors rebel against Satan and co. Will hockey lose millions? – The truth

First the main partner, now others have joined. The companies that sponsor Slovak hockey do not like Thursday’s decision of the SZĽH Executive Committee. Photo: TASR, Jaroslav Novák Assistant coach Andrej Podkonický, goalie coach Ján Lašák, general manager of the Slovak ice hockey team and head of the SZĽH Miroslav Šatan and coach Craig Ramsay after the match for bronze at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. The head of Slovak hockey, Miroslav Šatan, and his eight colleagues from the committee decided that they will also call players from the KHL to the national team. This is the opposite position taken by the hockey associations in Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic and France in connection with the rejection of Russian military aggression in Ukraine and the non-calling of players from the Russian competition. Read more Slovaks in the KHL? They would be foolish not to go. The Czechs were replaced by the Americans “We believe that the players who are currently playing in Russia do not violate both international agreements and our laws. We will therefore rely on the Olympic Charter, according to which sport is supposed to be a tool of unification,” VV SZĽH stated in a statement. Decision however, the sponsors, who pump millions of euros into Slovak hockey, do not like it. The main partner of the association, the company Orange, was the first to speak. “The decision of the Slovak Ice Hockey Association (SZĽH) greatly worried us, while we were not informed about the mentioned step in advance. We are not indifferent to the situation in Ukraine. We contacted the SZĽH, we expressed our concern and we will continue to discuss this situation with the intention that they will reconsider this decision,” Tomáš Palovský, manager of corporate relations, responded to the Sme.sk portal on behalf of Orange. The SZĽH will allow players from the KHL to represent. Is it okay? Yes, the players are not to blame 72.8% It’s a shame and an embarrassment 23.1% I don’t care at all 4.1% The company Škoda Auto expressed itself in a similar spirit.The well-known car manufacturer is one of the long-term sponsors of not only Slovak but also international hockey “ŠKODA AUTO Slovensko, as a long-time partner and supporter of Slovak hockey, perceives the whole matter very sensitively and we are not pleased with the situation. In any case, this is an internal decision of the SZľH, which we will discuss with the union and follow the whole matter carefully. After the outbreak of the war, ŠKODA AUTO strongly condemned the invasion of Ukraine, stopped production in Russia, and even today we continue to actively help refugees in various forms, including ŠKODA AUTO Slovakia, which for this purpose provided vehicles to the organizations Human in Danger and the Slovak Catholic Charity,” company representatives said. for RTVS. Read more OPINION: Criticism is appropriate. A hint of understanding, too. So far, Kaufland has taken a neutral stance. “As for the decision of the SZĽH union, we will consult it at a joint meeting with the union itself and not through statements in the media,” responded the management of the supermarket chain. There are currently seven Slovak hockey players on the rosters of KHL teams – forwards Michal Krištof, Samuel Buček, Adam Liška, defenders Christián Jaroš, Michal Čajkovský and goalkeepers Patrik Rybár and Adam Húsk. Opponents of the Russian regime, which is responsible for the bloody invasion of neighboring Ukraine, point to the fact that KHL clubs are being abused for military purposes propaganda and war support. Read more IIHF has retained the club’s side from the KHL, Latvians are furious “Clubs there have received a letter in which they are ordered to support the Russian army, its military operation and to report on it. It can be seen that war propaganda also targets sports,” said analyst Roman Máca from the Institute for Society and Politics for ČT Sport. Some Russian clubs are connected to influential local oligarchs. The president of SKA St. Petersburg, which is majority-owned by the gas giant Gazprom, is Gennady Timchenko, known from the EU sanctions list. The SKA team is coached from the position of head coach by Roman Rotenberg, the son of construction magnate Boris Rotenberg, who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.