Germany Considers Withdrawing from Hosting the World Ice Hockey Championship

Germany does not rule out the possibility of withdrawing from hosting the World Ice Hockey Championship, mentioned Frank Luc, the head of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB), in an interview with the channel "Magenta Sports".

Next year's championship will take place in Germany, which would also have to host the Russian national team.

"We should consider withdrawing from the rights to host the World Championship. We cannot subject ourselves to such a financial risk that we cannot resolve," said Luc.

"There will be completely different costs, mainly concerning security issues. We will discuss this with local politicians and the IIHF," continued Luc.

As Luc stated, one of the possible steps could be to prohibit the Russian national team from entering Germany.

"This is a political decision that we as a federation cannot influence," acknowledged Luc.

The Russian national teams have been disqualified from IIHF competitions since February 2022, when Russia began its renewed invasion of Ukraine. During this period, the teams have missed five consecutive World Championships and the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina.

It has already been reported that on Friday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) must immediately reinstate the Russian ice hockey teams in international tournaments, applying the decision to next year's World Championships for adult men, U-20 and U-18 teams, as well as the Women's World Championships. The Latvian national team also plays in the top division of the men's championships.