Västerås sporting director Patrick Zetterberg talks about failure
After a stormy autumn without results, Västerås iK finally made his move.
It was sporting director Patrick Zetterberg who had to leave the club.
Now he talks about the turmoil, what went wrong, and his future plans.
– I had the opportunity, but I didn’t take advantage of it, he told Sportbladet.
Västerås has been confident going into the 22/23 season. As the outcome was not forthcoming and the players did not deliver as intended, it began to storm.
In the end, the club acted and sporting director Patrick Zetterberg was sacked on Monday morning.
– Of course it’s boring. You have a history at the club and you have ambition and a goal to take the club to the next step. I understand that the club needs to act, because we didn’t play at the level we were good at. I’m ultimately responsible for it and can’t say it’s wrong, Zetterberg tells Sportbladet, but of course it’s still heartbreaking.
Satisfied with team building
On paper, the club had a strong squad and there were many who expected Vasteras to join and challenge at the top. When half of the season is played now, they are in ninth place in the table. What has been seen, Zetterberg says, is too early for us to notice.
– I’m going to sit in my bubbles and go through this year and hit a few points. I think we have a team that a lot of people around us think should be a dark horse. I still hold on to the fact that we have a good enough team and then there are many small parts that didn’t work and you have to sit down and look at that. Basically, we haven’t found an equal level and there are very few players who have progressed.
If you had a good enough team, did the sporting director role fail then?
– I don’t want to comment on that. This assessment can be made by others. I know how hard the coaches and others at the club work but clearly we didn’t get what we should have from this team, he says and continues:
– I have to do my part in this. Of course, there are some designations that are not good enough and where I have to look for myself. Then I can feel that not all of them are like this. It’s a mixture of everything. It’s hard to say why we didn’t get out of the team.
Arrogant goal: “bites us in the tail”
Västerås has set a clear goal that the club will be promoted to the SHL in 2024. The cocky attitude has also raised strong voices from abroad when results are not forthcoming.
– You have been told that you may be asking for unnecessary pressure from the outside. I understand that with the commitment that comes from the city and when we perform as we do, something has to happen.
Do you really regret going out?
– No, not at all. I still think it’s amusing that someone would dare to be cocky and make it clear like the club did. Then it turns out that he bites us in the tail a little bit and people stand up and point and think things over when we say what we said. He only played half the season so the club can still be successful.
The secret meeting is leaked to the media
In addition to sports results, they began to appear when information leaked to the media that Zetterberg met with coach Hakan Holland for a meeting. He doesn’t want to say what really happened.
– Regardless of what happened with Hollande or not, I have no comment on that. No matter what industry you’re in, if it doesn’t work, you as a business owner should review it. Do we need to make a change in any way? It’s not surprising that an association would take a look at her home. Hence media interference in it is unnecessary and not something anyone would want. It just hurts more.
How do you see the situation in which Thomas Pananen ended up?
– Obviously, Thomas and I struggle, and we worked together for many years. We’ve been on a sporting trip together and I know how well he works and then he’ll end up up a storm. We’ve always had an open relationship, but I obviously struggled with him in this situation.
He can quit hockey
Zetterberg still has a contract with Västerås until 2024. What’s going on now, he doesn’t really know himself.
– I’ll take it easy and a lot of people around me say I’ll take it easy for a few weeks and then we’ll see. I’ve trekked in the real estate industry before so I don’t know if it will be a job with hockey or if it will be a civilian career. I have to get down on it.
So it is possible to quit hockey?
– Yes it is. Nothing self written I just focus on hockey. I know there is a lot of excitement in civilian life.
