Mathias Joggi, dare we ask you until what time the party lasted for you, Sunday evening in Porrentruy?
I don’t know anymore (Laughter) ! I can just tell you that it was kindly going to be day when I went to bed.
Tell us about the crazy atmosphere that your supporters put in, both in Lausanne and when you returned to the Jura …
Yes, it was really crazy. During the entire match, having 7,000 people singing behind us, and what’s more, on an ice rink that is not ours, is truly indescribable. When we scored 5-3, I thought the rink was going to explode because the songs were so loud. Our supporters were in a trance, they were crazy. For us players, this is something unforgettable.
You were Swiss champion with Davos in 2011 on the Kloten ice, can we compare the two evenings?
It’s something completely different. A championship is over eight months, while the cup was just a few games. So we can’t compare, but I almost want to say that here, with Ajoie, being the underdog who wins four games in a row against a National League team, it’s even stronger. I will never forget this evening.
Gary Sheehan said after the game that your team knew all about the strengths and weaknesses of HC Davos before entering this final. You confirm ?
Yes, we were really well prepared, everyone knew what would await us opposite. This was already the case against Lausanne, then Zurich and Biel. Gary Sheehan perfectly knows how to analyze an opponent. There, he emphasized Davos’s power play in particular, as well as the weaknesses of their two goalkeepers.
Did you know that Sandro Aeschlimann was more vulnerable in certain “corners” of his cage?
Yes exactly. I can’t go into too much detail, but each goalkeeper has their weaknesses and we knew exactly where the opposing goalkeeper conceded the most goals.
In addition to perfect preparation, your team shone in power play since they scored five goals in this situation. These were certainly the two keys to the meeting. But when your opponent returned from 4-0 to 4-3 to ten minutes from the end of the game, were you afraid to let go of this cup?
Yes, it was a painful moment. We said to ourselves that it was not possible, that we were leading four lengths, that we were coming out with a huge match and that we should not let go. The time-out did us good at that time, we refocused and we said that we were still leading a goal and that it was better to be led. And then the fifth goal arrived as a deliverance. After the sixth in the sequence, we knew it was in the pocket and that nothing could happen to us.
You were a scorer both in the semi-final against Biel and in the final against Davos. These are your two former clubs. Is there a sense of revenge that drives you today ?
It is necessarily special, especially in front of HC Bienne since I am Biennese. I would be lying if I said that it did not matter to me to score against Biel and Davos, but I do not blame anyone, I left these clubs on good terms. It’s business.
Speaking of business, your contract in Ajoie will expire in a few weeks. At 34, are you still hungry for hockey?
Yes, I still want to play 2-3 years. I feel good in my body and the motivation is still there. I hope to be able to continue playing Ajoie in the future. I think I will know more in a few days.
Last question, Mathias Joggi. Do you think this victory in the Swiss Cup will take the pressure off you for the play-offs, which will start in two weeks?
I don’t know, it’s hard to say. For my part, my goal is always to win the championship. If not, what’s the point of starting it? We did a great feat, something unique. Maybe that will help us, since now we know we can beat any team.
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