Moritz Seider, captain of the German ice hockey national team and an NHL star, has publicly come out in favour of Russia being allowed to take part in the World Championship in Germany. His stance comes amid a heated debate: several nations, including defending champions Finland, are threatening to boycott matches against Russia.

A great deal is at stake for the host country. Frank Lutz, chief executive of the German Ice Hockey Federation, sees Russia's readmission and its possible consequences as a considerable financial risk for the tournament. The federal government has also ruled out refusing visas to Russian players. For its part, the Russian ice hockey federation is threatening Germany with claims for damages should it be excluded.

Key points:

• Germany's NHL star Moritz Seider supports the Russian national team returning to the Ice Hockey World Championship next May.
• The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has readmitted Russian ice hockey teams with a ruling.
• Several countries led by world champions Finland subsequently threatened to boycott matches against Russia.

Source: Welt (German)