DEB dependent on DFL for 2027 World Cup opening event

2027 Ice Hockey World Championship – During the 2027 World Championship Opening Event, DFL was instructed (for the Bundesliga)

The German Ice Hockey Federation’s participation in the planned outdoor opening match of the 2027 World Cup depends on the cooperation of the German Football Association. “We are talking about the 2026/27 season – we have to make an agreement with the football team that we can make ice on the grass there,” said DEB chairman Peter Merten in Mannheim.

Opening event planned in Düsseldorf or at Schalke

The arenas in Düsseldorf and Gelsenkirchen are available. Merten referred to the fact that the football season is still in full swing in May 2027 and that the match schedules have to be taken into account. In addition, it is currently unclear in which competitions the local clubs Fortuna Düsseldorf and FC Schalke 04 play. “The advantage at Schalke is that you can roll out the ice there. In Düsseldorf you would have to replace the grass afterwards. You have to pay for that,” said Merten.

The official stressed that an open-air opening match, due to the larger number of spectators, is an “economic turbo”. “There is a certain chance that we will get it,” he said of the negotiations with the IIHF.

Opening event at Schalke in 2010 World Cup

An opening event took place at Schalke during the World Championship 2010 in our own country. Then some 78,000 spectators came and set a new world record.

1. The German Ice Hockey Federation is asking the German Football Association for their cooperation for their participation in the opening match of the 2027 World Cup.
2. DEB Chairman Peter Merten discussed the possibility of an outdoor match in Mannheim, taking into account the 2026/2027 season and the requirements of the football team.
3. Arenas in Düsseldorf and Gelsenkirchen are viable options, but the football season in May 2027 and the competitions of the local clubs are still uncertain.
4. Merten stressed the feasibility of an open-air match at Schalke because of the possibility of rolling out the ice, unlike in Düsseldorf, where the grass would have to be replaced.
5. An open-air match is expected to provide an economic boost as it attracts larger audiences and potentially generates significant financial gains.
6. The German Ice Hockey Federation enjoyed a successful opening event at Schalke during the 2010 World Cup, with approximately 78,000 spectators setting a new world record.
7. In Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia, ice hockey and football fans will be closely monitoring the associations’ negotiations with the IIHF over the planned 2027 event.
8. Schalke 04, a leading German football club from Gelsenkirchen, could host the opening match of the 2027 World Cup if negotiations with the relevant parties are successful.

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