From the final series of the Stanley Cup to the coach of a youth team in Basel, Switzerland — this is the professional path of former Latvian national team defender Oskars Bartulis. He moved to Switzerland a year after his son went there to play hockey during the pandemic, as there were no restrictions on training.
Oskars Bartulis was joined in Switzerland by former Latvian national team goalkeeper Juris Klodans. They are already preparing for their fifth season in Switzerland.
"It’s currently the summer season, so we have many kids from other small clubs training with us for these two months.
When it comes to hockey training and games in Switzerland, the costs range from 700 to 1500 francs per year (from 800 to 1600 euros). Foreigners also have to pay for accommodation and education, but for the Swiss themselves, this is the final amount. 'In Switzerland, when we talk about such costs, we are not only talking about hockey but about sports in general. And here, it is very cheap for children. I can only compare it to hockey in Latvia. But here they still complain, for them it is expensive. Local governments help a lot, and it is definitely cheaper than in Latvia,' Oskars Bartulis compares.
The flow of Latvians to Switzerland continues even now, when after five years in the youth system, young hockey players are no longer guaranteed a local player license, and therefore they are still considered legionnaires in professional clubs.
Our coaches are often dissatisfied with the outflow of youth abroad: 'Many play until they are 15, and then they still go abroad, and this is the most painful thing for coaches.
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