Patrick Fischer is in the spotlight because of his fake Covid certificate. Now Lian Bichsel, who was severely punished by the national team coach, has also spoken out about Fischer's offense.
15.04.2026, 16:31
15.04.2026, 16:42
SDA
In the comments on Patrick Fischer's faux pas of falsifying a Covid certificate before the 2022 Winter Olympics, the name of Lian Bichsel keeps coming up. Critics accuse the national team coach of hypocrisy for suspending the 21-year-old Dallas Stars defender for a total of three World Championships and the Winter Olympics this February on the grounds of "team above all else" after he twice failed to comply with a call-up for the U20 national team.
Two different topics for Bichsel
Asked about this by the Keystone-SDA news agency in a Zoom call with media representatives, Bichsel said: "The Covid period was difficult for everyone, decisions were perhaps not always made correctly. I can't understand falsifying something like that. Everyone had to go through it. But that was his decision, whether it was good or not is up to him or the association. There is no connection to my topic, I think they are two different things."
Asked about the critics who see a connection, Bichsel says: "What happened (to me) is not just a big deal in Switzerland, there were also a lot of conversations about it in the NHL - including with my teammates. People asked me what exactly was going on. It's also a very big deal for me personally and still very painful not to be able to wear the Swiss kit in my own country. Because of that, I still don't think it's fair to link these things. But yes, of course it's very upsetting news."
A rollercoaster season
Bichsel is looking forward to playing for Switzerland again next season. He has not yet held talks with Fischer's successor Jan Cadieux. His focus is on the Dallas Stars, who impressed in qualifying after failing to reach the Western Conference final in each of the previous three years.
Bichsel does not want to feel any pressure. With their strengths, the team has a good chance of winning the title, but the league is extremely tight. Other teams could say the same, says Bichsel. The Stars will face the Minnesota Wild in the round of 16. There have been two home wins in each of the four season duels, with Dallas starting with home advantage as second in the Central Division.
Bichsel describes his season as a rollercoaster. He was out from the end of November until after the Olympic break due to a fracture in his foot and wore a support boot for four weeks. The six-foot-two defenseman, who was drafted 18th overall by the Stars in 2022, played 49 of 82 qualifying games and averaged 15:33 minutes of ice time. On March 2, he scored a brace in Vancouver and recorded a total of four goals and four assists.
"It wasn't easy to come back during the season, especially as I'm still a young player and don't have that much experience yet," says Bichsel. "But on the whole, the season has been very positive so far."
