After DEL relegation, Krefeld is raging
‘Awkward’ penguins waddle in court
3/31/2022 7:43 am
For a long time there has been no relegation in the German Ice Hockey League. Then the DEL changes the regulations and sticks to them despite the pandemic. With Krefeld, the first relegation in 16 years has now been determined. The penguins sense a distortion of competition and want to clarify the case before the arbitral tribunal.
After being relegated from the German ice hockey league, the Krefeld Pinguine renewed their accusation of distortion of competition. Managing Director Sergej Saveljew confirmed the 1:6 (0:1, 1:3, 0:1) defeat at the Adler Mannheim on Wednesday, which made the penguins’ last place in the table perfect at the end of the main round, before the DEL arbitration board wanting to pull. Assistant coach Boris Blank also raged after the first sporting relegation of a DEL club since 2006.
“In a Corona season like this, there must be no relegation,” complained the former international at MagentaSport. “This season was worse than last season. Last season relegation was canceled and the season there is relegation.” Although a number of games had been canceled this season due to corona and some could not be made up for, the DEL stuck to the relegation rule this season. “We had eight to ten players sick or injured. The players had to play three or four games a week when they were healthy again. We couldn’t compensate for that,” Blank continued to complain.
The strain was enormous again this week. It was only on Tuesday that the Penguins had delayed relegation by beating their direct competitor Schwenningen 3-2 after extra time. Only one evening later, in another catch-up game in Mannheim, the strength for a coup was missing. “No reproach to the team. They gave their all,” said Blank.
However, some players saw this differently and also pointed out their own omissions this season. “Of course something like that is exhausting. But that was absolutely embarrassing for us today and reflects the whole season a bit,” said defender Dominik Tiffels. And striker Alexander Weiß said: “I feel sorry for the entire city, where the club is something of a religion.”