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Special father-son encounter: Roger Bader, as Austria coach, meets Switzerland with his son Thierry on Sunday.
Family duel in Prague: In the second group game at the World Cup in the Czech Republic there will be an extraordinary encounter between Switzerland and Austria. Roger Bader, coach of the Austrian national team, meets his son Thierry, who plays for Switzerland.
As a father, I am of course very happy that he made it into the squad. He deserves this.
The fact that Roger Bader is coaching against his home country is nothing new: he has been the coach of Austria since 2016, and on Sunday he will face Switzerland for the third time at a World Cup. “It’s always something special for me to be on the boards against my home country,” says the 59-year-old from Winterthur.
However, the encounter could be even more special for him. That would be when his son Thierry made his World Cup debut for Switzerland. The SCB player, who is taking part in a World Cup for the first time, has not yet been officially reported. In the opening game against Norway (5:2), the 26-year-old had to sit in the stands.
“As a father, I am of course very happy that he made it into the squad. He deserves this. “I’m happy for him and I’m excited to see whether he’ll be used,” says Roger Bader. It is unavoidable that the two come into contact in the Czech Republic – especially since both teams are staying in the same hotel. “Of course father and son talk to each other. But I’ll leave him alone during the World Cup,” says the father.
It’s like a derby for us.
The game will also be special for National League players such as the newly crowned Swiss champion Vinzenz Rohrer from the ZSC Lions or Dominic Zwerger from Ambri-Piotta. «I know a lot of players, it’s like a derby for us. That’s why it will be a very special game and it will definitely be a lot of fun,” says the latter.
There is agreement on the Austrian side regarding the role of favorites. “For me, Switzerland is a top nation and a medal candidate,” says Roger Bader. Zwerger is in the same vein: “Switzerland is one of the top nations in ice hockey and is definitely the favorite.”
Especially since Austria is considered a “lift team” and was only able to stay in the top division last year after a 4:3 win in a penalty shootout against Hungary (after a 1:3 deficit). Switzerland won the last two World Cup duels 5 and 6 years ago (albeit narrowly). In 2015, however, the eastern neighbor achieved a real coup with a 4:3 win nP.