Sakari Pietilä told a great story about the 1992 World Championships

Or perhaps more correctly: Would it be possible for the Lions to lose on purpose?

Wild speculation swirled around the national team on Monday, when it seemed that a loss to Switzerland in the final game of the first group on Tuesday could bring Finland an easier route to the medal games.

On Monday, it seemed likely that the winner of the Finland-Switzerland match would face Sweden and the loser Norway in the quarter-finals.

So, would it be worth losing by favor to Switzerland and taking Norway as a mouthful, was the speculation.

The speculation collapsed when Norway beat the Czech Republic, but spinning the deliberate defeat brought a coaching legend Sakari Pietilä vividly remember the events of 1992.

At that time, the Swedes were afraid that the Lions would lose to Italy on purpose.

Pietilä71, remembers the events of the 1992 World Cup in Czechoslovakia like it was yesterday. He was the second coach of the Lions at the time and now he was the head coach of the deceased Pentti Matikainen alongside.

Finland achieved a memorable silver in the Games, which was the first World Cup medal for the Finnish men’s national team.

Finland prepared to face Italy in the final match of the first group. Finland had already secured the next place.

Sweden was in trouble. If Finland lost to Italy, Italy would get ahead of Sweden and advance. Sweden would stay in the first group.

“We were in Bratislava and we took “Pena” to the morning training for the team. Then the Swedish coaches Conny Evensson and Curt Lundmark came to talk to us”, Pietilä remembers.

The coaches spoke Swedish.

“They came to say hey guys, you have to win the next match.”

The head coach Evensson offered Matikainen and Pietilä a carrot.

“He showed that here is the Swedish Hockey Association’s gold credit card. Beat Italy and take over this card for a couple of days. You can enjoy life.”

The men laughed. According to Pietilä, there was humor in the situation.

“But they were worried.”

Pietilä according to the Lions’ coaches, they hadn’t even thought about losing to Italy, let alone losing on purpose. The coaching staff of the Lions had not had time to think about Sweden’s dire situation.

Were the Swedish coaches really afraid that you might make trouble and lose to Italy?

“Otherwise they wouldn’t have come to talk. They appealed to us, dear neighbors.”

Finland did not consider a deliberate defeat.

“Well, not a match. And now lose to Italy.”

Finland crushed Italy 6–1. Sweden thanked and made it to the next round.

It was I guess it was fateful that Finland and Sweden met in the final match in Prague, and Sweden won 5–2.

Would it have been worth it to lose to Italy and destroy the Tre Kronor games?

“At the time, you couldn’t predict that we would lose to Sweden in the final. Yes, Pena and I thought afterwards what if another country had come against us in the final.”

Sweden had failed in the initial group. It ended in a goalless draw with Italy and lost to Germany. In the playoffs, Tre Kronor rallied and defeated Russia, Switzerland and Finland.

In the opening series, Finland beat Sweden 3–1.

Some contemporaries suspected that the Leijoni’s hunger had already been satisfied before the final after the first World Cup medal was secured.

“We didn’t have a full stomach. We went on to win the final strongly with the ‘nameless gang of shit’ we had,” Pietilä says, referring to the belittlement the team experienced before the Games.

In addition to the loss in the final, Pietilä is left to dig for one thing.

“That credit card still hasn’t been seen.”