First game at the Ice Hockey World Championships – Italy with old friends and no pressure against Switzerland – Sport

Switzerland will start the World Cup in Helsinki against Italy on Saturday. The southern Europeans are clear outsiders, but have nothing to lose.

The Italian national team’s memories of the last duel with Switzerland are anything but pleasant. In 2019 at the World Cup in Bratislava, it started with a 0: 9 swatter. “Things didn’t go so well back then,” striker Diego Kostner looks back. “After all, we managed to stay in the top division afterwards.”

The encounter with Switzerland is special for Kostner, as he has played his entire career in Switzerland. In Helsinki he would be only too happy to cause an upset with Italy against the clearly favored Nati.

However, the Ambri player is aware that this will be difficult: “In order to survive against Switzerland, we must be defensive, our goalie must have a good day and we must be able to play a few counterattacks.”

It’s not the game we need to win.

The Italians have no pressure in the opening game against Switzerland. You just want to try something, says Kostner. “It’s not the game we need to win. It will then be decisive against Kazakhstan or France. » The Kazakhs and the French, who moved up for expelled Russia, are Italy’s direct competitors in the fight against relegation.

Gain momentum against Switzerland in the relegation battle

With Larry Huras, the Italians have another well-known figure in Switzerland in their ranks. The former coach of Bern, Lugano, ZSC, Ambri and Freiburg acts as an assistant coach. The game against Switzerland is also special for Huras. «I had a very nice time there. A large part of my heart will always belong to Switzerland.”

Huras also names staying up for Italy as the top priority and he also sees his team as a clear outsider at the start. The Canadian is still hoping for a lot from the duel with Switzerland: “It’s an advantage for us that we have to play against Switzerland and Canada in the first two games. Then we can get used to this speed and improve our game.”