EV Zug is in a veritable sporting crisis. Still winless in 2026, it plays the semi-final second leg against Lulea in the Champions Hockey League on Tuesday - and has to make up a 2:3 deficit.
20.01.2026, 04:31
SDA
EV Zug has been waiting for a win since December 23. Last Friday's 4-2 defeat at home to bottom-placed Ajoie marked the low point of the season so far. Just 24 hours later, they suffered their eighth championship defeat in a row with a 4-1 loss in Geneva. Reaching the top 6 and thus qualifying directly for the playoffs is thus receding further and further into the distance for the team from central Switzerland.
EV Zug is currently experiencing its biggest sporting crisis since it last missed the playoffs under Doug Shedden in the spring of 2014. Since then, Zug has always managed at least 6th place and, with one exception, always finished in the top 4.
On Sunday, the team flew from Geneva to Lulea, where the semi-final second leg of the Champions Hockey League against the Swedish champions is scheduled for Tuesday. Despite the precarious situation, the EVZ is traveling to northern Sweden with some residual hope. The aim is to halt the downward slide on the European stage. However, the starting position is difficult.
Over eleven weeks without an away win
Lulea goes into the second leg with a 3:2 advantage after the Swedes dominated the first leg in Zug for long stretches. It was only thanks to a strong Leonardo Genoni in Zug's goal that EVZ's deficit was limited.
A look at the away record does not speak in Zug's favor either. The last win away from home dates back to October 30. Since then, there have been nine away defeats in a row. Should they nevertheless make it to the final, it would be the third final with Swiss participation in a row after Servette and the ZSC Lions and a big surprise given EVZ's current form.
There are several reasons for Zug's downfall. Bad luck with injuries plays a role, but only partially explains the misery. The main problem lies in the offense. Since the turn of the year, the team has never scored more than two goals per game. There is a lack of creativity, playful solutions and players who are willing to take responsibility and make the difference. The team has too many hangers-on. Under these circumstances, it is hardly possible to win games.
Liniger under increasing pressure
The pressure on Michael Liniger grows with every defeat. The 46-year-old from Emmental was promoted from assistant to head coach this season as Dan Tangnes' successor and has a contract until 2027. However, what was intended to be a long-term project is already threatening to falter after less than a year.
Those responsible at EVZ are still ruling out a change of coach. "No one is served by rushing into things. Pressing the panic button without knowing what will follow is not sustainable," Head of Sport Reto Kläy told the Luzerner Zeitung on Saturday. Measures will be taken promptly, "but not hastily". Kläy did not specify what these measures would be.
A win in Lulea would be a liberating blow for Liniger and his team and could at least temporarily push the gloomy everyday league life into the background. But the task is big. Very big.
It is not impossible to win in Lulea. At the end of August, EVZ managed to do so with a 3:2 win after extra time at the start of this European Cup campaign. It was a long time ago.
