Swiss hockey coach Patrick Fischer fired over fake COVID vaccine card
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Patrick Fischer, the Swiss hockey coach who admitted to receiving a fraudulent vaccination card to coach the men’s hockey team at the 2022 Olympics, has been fired.
Urs Kessler, president of the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation, suggested that the “public debate about values and trust” ended up playing a role in the dismissal, although the matter was “legally closed.”
“Trust and integrity are at the heart of our sport and our organization. From today’s perspective, our initial assessment, that the matter was closed, is not up to par. These are values and respect, which are fundamental to Swiss ice hockey and have not been upheld by Patrick Fischer in 2022,” Kessler said in a statement.
“The federation regrets not having sufficiently taken this aspect into account in its initial evaluation.
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Head coach Patrick Fischer of Switzerland practices on the ice during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, February 8, 2026. (Grégory Shamus/Getty Images)
“The federation at the same time thanks Patrick Fischer for his indisputable sporting achievements. Under his leadership, the Swiss national team developed steadily for more than a decade, rose from eighth to second place in the world rankings and won three silver medals, thus leaving a lasting mark on Swiss ice hockey.”
Fischer admitted to using a certificate falsely claiming he had been vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel China’s strict travel restrictions.
Swiss public broadcaster SRF said it confronted Fischer with documents showing he was fined nearly 39,000 Swiss francs ($50,000) by local authorities in 2023 for falsifying documents after purchasing the certificate on social media. SRF said he made his confession public shortly afterward.
In a statement Monday evening, Fischer said he had made a “serious mistake in this matter” by traveling to Beijing with the Swiss men’s team using false documents.
Head coach Patrick Fischer of the Swiss team reacts during a Men’s Preliminary Round Group B match between the Republic of China and Switzerland at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, February 9, 2022. (Xavier Lainé/Getty Images)
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“I’m really sorry if I disappointed people with this situation,” Fischer said. “I was in an extraordinary personal crisis because I didn’t want to get vaccinated. At the same time, I certainly didn’t want to let my team down at the Olympics.”
Ahead of the 2022 Olympics, China had some of the strictest COVID-19 rules in place in the world. He insisted that all athletes traveling to the Games must either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or spend a three-week quarantine in a hotel, as Swiss snowboarder Patrizia Kummer did.
Switzerland will host the world championship next month. Fischer already had to retire after that.
Fischer is one of the most successful hockey coaches in Switzerland. He has held this position since 2015 and has taken the team to three Olympic Games and won three silver medals at the world championships.
Head coach Patrick Fischer of Switzerland reacts during a men’s preliminary round Group A match against Czechia at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy, February 15, 2026. (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)
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Fischer played for the Swiss national team at the 2002 and 2006 Olympics and also played for the country’s junior national team in 1994. He spent most of his career playing for EV Zug of the Swiss National League A, where his jersey number was retired.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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