Slovenian ice hockey farce

Janez Potocnik, Brane Jersin and former president of HZS Ernest Aljancic are forming a so-called Control Board of HZS. This body concluded that the new president of HZS, Matjaz Rakovec, no longer has their support in leading the Hockey Union. The board members think that the results of the voting, previously held to declare support for Rakovec at the HZS assembly, are unacceptable. The first round of voting turned up 12 voices for and 12 voices against Rakovec. The result changed in the next vote, and Matjaz Rakovec won support with 15 voices to 12. It is not clear how exactly there were first 24 voters and and then 27 the next time around. Some members of the board think that many of the paragraphs of HZS were not followed and that the vote in which Rakovec gained support was illegal.

Rakovec says: "I think that the conclusion of the assembly was clear. I am staying in the Hockey Union as president. I do my work with full intensity and my co-workers do it as well. The functions of the Control Board are also defined very well. Potocnik, Jersin and Aljancic may and must take control over legal issues with the proceedings HZS is active in. They are not, however, the body that decides who will or who won't be the leader of HZS. The assembly voted for me and only the assembly can relieve me of a duty. Aljancic does not want some things from the past to be cleared. For example: how did HZS make a 1.1 million € loss in the last year with Aljancic on top of the Hockey Union?"

The Control Board had accused Rakovec of some irregularities. The biggest problems seem to be the suspension of a contract with the former coach of the national team John Harrington (USA). Slovenian-born Matjaz Kopitar took over the national squad and he failed to stay in the top pool at this year’s World Championship in Bratislava, Slovakia. Kopitar, however, gathered all the best players for the national squad. That was not the case in some of the national team's previous tournaments. Harrington had problems with some of the best players, as they weren't invited or didn't want to play for his team. Another controversy according to the Control Board is the dismissing of Matjaz Zargi, now ex-technical director of the national team.
In total, the Control Board made 10 accusations against Rakovec, which resulted in the decision to vote on his future as head of HZS. The results were mentioned earlier in the article.

There are many stories in circulation between fans and even in media that former president of HZS Aljancic has dug the grave for Slovenian ice hockey. He was presumably connected to many unclear stories within HZS, including those obscure ones with HZS's business cars, those with TV rights for the championships held in Slovenia and many more. Ernest Aljancic, of course, denies any dirty deeds. He says that he is a respectable member of the IIHF board with many years of hard work for Slovenian ice hockey. To be fair, no legal actions were taken against him. The fans have been supportive of Rakovec, the new president. They even presented him publicly with a broom, declaring that HZS needs a good sweeping.

We will continue monitoring what happens with this Slovenian hockey farce.

UPDATE: The outcome

 

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