European Hockey Championship: And now perhaps a small sensation

Dutchwoman Janneke Schopman was one of the best hockey players in the world: Olympic champion in 2008, world champion in 2006, and three-time European champion. After her career ended, her expertise was so sought after that she became a national coach in the USA and India. The German Hockey Federation (DHB) had also had the now 48-year-old on its radar for some time, but it took a direct sporting duel to first defeat her and then win Schopman over for German hockey.

In January 2024, the German women's hockey team, coached by Valentin Altenburg, played an Olympic qualifying tournament in Ranchi, India. The top three nations qualified for the Summer Games in Paris. In the semifinals, Germany won a penalty shootout against the Indians, coached by Schopman, who then lost the final match for the last Olympic ticket 0-1 to Japan. "That ultimately cost them their jobs there," says DHB Sports Director Martin Schultze.

The Hockey Park in Mönchengladbach will be the stage for a double European Championship, just like in 2023. This time, the DHB men's and women's teams want to take advantage.

The DHB hired Schopman as "Technical Director Youth" in October 2024. But just one month later, women's national coach Altenburg resigned, and in November, Schopman was promoted to national coach. She is the first woman on the sidelines in the long and illustrious history of the German women's national hockey team.

At Schopman's first major test, the European Championship in Mönchengladbach, the DHB team, featuring eight European Championship debutants, opened the season with a 4-1 victory against France on Saturday evening. In their second group match this Monday (8:30 p.m., magentasport.de), they face the best team in the world: Schopman's hometown team, the Netherlands. It's a relevant benchmark for German women's hockey under the new national coach.

"The Netherlands isn't invincible," says Schopman. But actually, the Netherlands already is. The Dutch women have won four of the last five Olympic tournaments, four of the last five World Cups, and all four of the last European Championships. They currently hold all three titles. "The Dutch national team is the most successful team in the world," says DHB sports director Schultze. "A superior opponent!" If anyone knows how to beat this team, it's Schopman. "Janneke knows how the Netherlands ticks," says German goalkeeper Julia Sonntag.

German women's hockey players have also been Olympic champions (2004), world champions (1976, 1981), and European champions (2007, 2013) – but they haven't won a title since 2013. Schultze says: "Of course, that also has to do with the dominance of the Dutch." Beating the best team in the world this time at the home European Championships in Mönchengladbach would be a minor sensation. "With our young team at this European Championship, you can't necessarily expect that," says Schultze. "We're thinking more towards the 2028 Olympics, and until then, we'll be happy about every medal. But in 2028, we'd love to be ahead of the Dutch again."

Schultze is quite impressed by the Dutch coach's new approach to German women's hockey. "Our game has become clearer," he says, comparing it to the German game under Altenburg. "The team is playing more courageously in the midfield, making much more contact there. Last year, the team played a lot with flicks, but now I like the game better." Schopman is relying much more on speed with faster players. "There's a lot of movement, a lot of dynamism; you can already recognize her style very clearly."

This is no coincidence. New captain Linnea Weidemann, who shares the role with Lisa Nolte, says of Schopman: "She's demanding and very meticulous in her analysis, but she helps us know exactly what we have to do on the pitch." Goalkeeper Sonntag adds: "Janneke is very controlled and knows exactly what she's doing. It helps us immensely that she always maintains control and that we, as a young bunch, don't completely lose control."

In the 4-1 win against France, European Championship debutants Sophia Schwabe and Sara Strauss, both 22 years old, scored three goals. Young players like them give German women's hockey hope of being able to compete with the Netherlands in the coming years. "Now I'm very excited about the Netherlands," Schwabe said after the opening match, "but the knockout matches will be decisive." And the Dutchwoman Schopman said: "We are Germany, we play with pressure like Germany." And when the German anthem is played? "Then I sing along in my head."