The key facts

  • Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka apologized for calling Russian hockey players 'manly girls'
  • The statement was made in the context of the junior world championship in Ostrava (January 8–16, 2027)
  • On October 30, CAS overturned the IIHF's decision to suspend the Russian national team; the general secretary of the Czech Ice Hockey Association expressed disagreement with the Russians' return

The minister's apology

Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka has publicly apologized for his remarks about Russian hockey players, whom he had earlier called 'manly girls'. His words were reported by Hospodářské noviny. 'Although I was talking about Russian hockey players, not Czech ones, I think that is completely irrelevant now. I see how my words hurt the entire Czech women's hockey community and the entire sporting world. I must say that this genuinely upsets me, and I am truly sorry,' Macinka said.

Context of the scandal

The minister's scandalous statement was made during a discussion of the junior world championship, which will be held in Ostrava from January 8 to 16, 2027, reports Life.ru. Macinka's words drew sharp criticism from former Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky and members of the sports community. According to the minister himself, government members tactfully avoided the topic at a cabinet meeting, and at home his 'wife scolded him,' saying that when their daughter grows up, she will enroll her in a hockey team, and Macinka will regularly drive her to practices. Earlier, Czech NHL players criticized the foreign minister for his remarks about the Russian women.

Background: the question of Russia's return

The apology came amid a debate about the return of the Russian national team to the international stage. On October 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) fully granted the appeal of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and overturned the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) decision to suspend Russia. The IIHF said it would urgently assess the steps and time needed to implement the ruling, but expressed dissatisfaction with the CAS verdict. Meanwhile, the general secretary of the Czech Ice Hockey Association, Jan Cerny, stated that Czech hockey opposes the return of the Russian national team to international tournaments.