Fribourg-Gottéron wins the first title in the club's history at the Spengler Cup. Naturally, emotions run high. One name comes up again and again: Julien Sprunger, captain and cult figure.
31.12.2024, 16:51
31.12.2024, 17:27
SDA
For the goalie, a triumph at the Spengler Cup is nothing new. Thirteen years ago, Reto Berra already won once with HC Davos. "Wow, I'm a different person now," says the veteran with a laugh after the 7:2 victory in the final against the Straubing Tigers. "It's not even about me now, it's about Freiburg."
In recent days, months, even years, the Zurich native has also sensed how much the region has longed for a title. Or as another experienced player, defender Raphael Diaz, puts it: "People here were motivated and really hungry."
Running behind for a long time
Berra was also thinking specifically of "the older players like Julien Sprunger. We really wanted to win this title for them." All the players were celebrated at the end, but Sprunger received a special ovation from the Freiburg fans. The 38-year-old is a veteran who has never played for another club since his junior days.
With tears in his eyes, the 1.94 m tall giant says: "This club has been around for so long, and we've been chasing a title for so long. It's just so well deserved now." His teammate Nathan Marchon admits, "I can hardly find the right words at the moment, but it's just cool." Sprunger emphasizes the team spirit. "We just really performed as a team."
The success comes somewhat unexpectedly, as Fribourg-Gottéron has not been doing as well as expected so far this season. Four days before the start of the Spengler Cup, head coach Pat Emond was replaced by Lars Leuenberger. The latter is now celebrating the first title in the club's history after just five days on the sidelines.
Focus on the championship
However, this cannot be enjoyed for long in the middle of the season. A reception in Fribourg is not planned; many players are staying in Graubünden for a day or two with their families. The National League continues on Friday, January 3, against the leaders ZSC Lions. They urgently need points there to avoid missing out on the play-offs.
Despite all the joy, Christoph Bertschy raises a warning finger. "We have to be honest: Our big goal is the championship," emphasizes the power forward. The question is whether they will feel the extra pressure over the next few weeks or whether they will get a boost of euphoria. Diaz believes the latter: "Davos took a lot of momentum with them last year. There are beautiful, positive emotions that we can experience and now want to take with us."
Title defense not certain
Finally, another important question remains. "It's tradition that the defending champions receive an invitation for next year," says OC President Marc Gianola. However, it is not certain whether Gottéron will accept. "We haven't thought about it yet," reveals Fribourg's president Hubert Waeber. "We will look at the pros and cons in the coming days."
Gottéron's management will already be under a lot of pressure in the upcoming situation due to the organization of the World Championship in May 2026.
