The 2021 men’s finalists Germany and the Netherlands are set for another battle royale in Pool B in Mönchengladbach while France and Wales will be looking to put them under pressure this week. Here’s a look at each of the sides:
Men’s Pool B
France
- World ranking:11th
- EuroHockey Championship appearances: 16
- Best finish: 4th (1970)
Overview: The only side currently assured of a spot at the Paris Olympics, France go into the competition looking to build momentum ahead of next summer. Their summer has already seen them beat Australia 4-1.
In 2021, it was something of a rollercoaster as they beat Russia 6-5 but lost on the same scoreline against Germany having led 5-3 at half-time. A strong 3-2 win over Spain saw them finish in sixth place, their best finish since 2005.
A quintet of their wider panel won the Belgian league with Gantoise this season while Lucan Montecot – who scored on debut against Australia – and Corentin Sellier helped CA Montrouge to the French crown. Their training squad has eight men with over 100 caps with Victor Charley leading the way, scoting 86 goals in his 153 games.
| # | Name | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 1 | Arthur Thieffry | 108 | 0 | Lille MHC |
| 2 | Mathis Clément | 6 | 0 | Gantoise (BEL) |
| 3 | Mattéo Desgouillons | 37 | 0 | Lille MHC |
| 6 | Gaspard Xavier | 29 | 1 | Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles (BEL) |
| 7 | Lucas Montecot | 2 | 1 | CA Montrouge |
| 8 | Simon Martin-Brisac | 138 | 23 | Racing Club de France |
| 9 | Blaise Rogeau | 103 | 26 | Waterloo Ducks (BEL) |
| 10 | Viktor Lockwood | 152 | 17 | Lille MHC |
| 11 | Charles Masson | 131 | 20 | Gantoise (BEL) |
| 12 | Amaury Bellenger | 60 | 1 | Uccle (BEL) |
| 16 | François Goyet | 143 | 12 | Gantoise (BEL) |
| 17 | Noé Jouin | 14 | 2 | Saint Germain |
| 19 | Corentin Sellier | 21 | 8 | CA Montrouge |
| 20 | Eliot Curty | 55 | 3 | Waterloo Ducks (BEL) |
| 21 | Etienne Tynevez | 106 | 9 | Gantoise (BEL) |
| 22 | Victor Charlet | 153 | 86 | Waterloo Ducks (BEL) |
| 23 | Benjamin Marqué | 18 | 4 | Royal Daring (BEL) |
| 24 | Theophile Ponthieu | 24 | 2 | Lille MHC |
| 28 | Timothée Clément | 55 | 20 | Gantoise (BEL) |
| 30 | Edgar Reynaud | 42 | 0 | White Star (BEL) |
| 31 | Brieuc Delemazure | 18 | 1 | Lille MHC |
| Team Manager | Antoine Francois |
| Head Coach | Frederic Soyez |
| Assistant Coach | Ramon Sala |
| Assistant Coach | Jorge Lombi |
| Medical Doctor | Christian Palierne |
| Physiotherapist | Remi Dietrich |
| Physiotherapist | Benjamin Boone |
| Physical Trainer | Fabian Bernard |
| Psychologist | Christophe Lehoux |
| Video Technician | Axel Guignard |
Germany
- World ranking: 5th
- EuroHockey Championship appearances: 19
- Best finish: Winners – 8 times (1970, 1978, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2013)
Overview: The German men’s squad is led by Mats Grambusch and features 15 players who were part of the successful squad at the World Cup in India in January this year. The most experienced player is Martin Zwicker with 294 caps, the youngest is Jean Danneberg at 20.
The team consists of players from eight different clubs. In Timm Herzbruch and Johannes Große, they have two players celebrating their comeback in a tournament squad, who last played at the Olympic Games in Tokyo but then dropped out due to injury.
Herzbruch faces his 100th cap in the opening match against Wales and has already scored an impressive 50 goals for Germany. Große should pull the strings in midfield and demonstrate his strategic skills. Malte Hellwig, as one of the best strikers in the Bundesliga, also joins the squad. Hellwig completed his last tournament at the 2019 Euros. Christopher Rühr is taking time out from the squad for educational reasons.
| # | Name | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 1 | Alexander Stadler | 44 | 0 | Den Bosch (NL) |
| 2 | Mathias Müller | 143 | 9 | Hamburger Polo Club |
| 3 | Mats Grambusch | 186 | 61 | Rot-Weiss Köln |
| 4 | Lukas Windfeder | 149 | 59 | Uhlenhorst Mülheim |
| 7 | Thies Prinz | 51 | 7 | Rot-Weiss Köln |
| 9 | Niklas Wellen | 185 | 65 | Crefelder HTC |
| 10 | Johannes Große | 90 | 0 | Rot-Weiss Köln |
| 12 | Timm Herzbruch | 99 | 50 | Uhlenhorst Mülheim |
| 14 | Teo Hinrichs | 50 | 0 | Mannheimer HC |
| 15 | Tom Grambusch | 96 | 35 | Rot-Weiss Köln |
| 16 | Gonzalo Peillat | 182 (ARG 153, GER 29) | 19 GER / 176 ARG | Mannheimer HC |
| 19 | Justus Weigand | 36 | 9 | Mannheimer HC |
| 23 | Martin Zwicker | 294 | 26 | Berliner HC |
| 25 | Hannes Müller | 33 | 2 | UHC Hamburg |
| 27 | Timur Oruz | 110 | 17 | Rot-Weiss Köln |
| 29 | Malte Hellwig | 43 | 6 | Uhlenhorst Mülheim |
| 44 | Moritz Ludwig | 29 | 2 | Uhlenhorst Mülheim |
| 74 | Jean-Paul Danneberg | 13 | 0 | Rot-Weiss Köln |
| Team Manager | Eric Langner |
| Head Coach | André Henning |
| Assistant Coach | Jamilon Mülders |
| Assistant Coach | Jimi Lewis |
| Assistant Coach | Pasha Gademan |
| Medical Doctor | Robert Gorzolla |
| Physiotherapist | Alexander Schumm |
| Physiotherapist | Moritz Falcke |
| Physical Trainer | Robin Arkell |
| Psychologist | Henk Verschuur |
| Video Technician | Lucas Koch |
Official press release: https://magazin.hockey.de/articles/em-kader-honamas
Netherlands
- World ranking: 1st
- EuroHockey Championship appearances: 19
- Best finish: Winners – 6 times (1983, 1987, 2007, 2015, 2017, 2021)
Overview: Jeroen Delmée said of his tournament selection: “There are really many players who deserve to be involved. We have tried to form the best composition per line and position. It was really hard to make the right choices, but we think with this selection we have the best chance to defend our title. Briefing the players is always a difficult moment because everyone has worked hard in recent months.”
Seve van Ass (HGC), Teun Beins (Bloemendaal), Max de Bie (Orange-Red), Jasper Brinkman (Bloemendaal), Boris Burkhardt (Amsterdam), and Pepijn Reyenga (Den Bosch) missed out on final selection from the panel. The national coach was also waiting on the final choice between Pirmin Blaak and Derk Meijer as second keeper. This has to do, among other things, with the imminent birth of Blaak’s child.
The Dutch shone in the Pro League this year with a run of five successive wins – 10 unbeaten in total – to conclude the competition, including two successes against Belgium and one against Germany. Joep de Mol is the comeback story having missed out on the World Cup while Kampong’s Duco Telgenkamp is the break-out star, scoring five times in his first six international matches.
They were forced into one late change with Tjep Hoedemakers out injured with Floris MIddendorp coming into the squad.
| # | Name | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 1 | Maurits Visser | 26 | 0 | HC Bloemendaal |
| 4 | Lars Balk | 117 | 3 | SV Kampong |
| 6 | Jonas de Geus | 126 | 3 | SV Kampong |
| 7 | Thijs van Dam | 99 | 17 | HC Rotterdam |
| 8 | Thierry Brinkman | 155 | 68 | HC Bloemendaal |
| 10 | Jorrit Croon | 122 | 11 | HC Bloemendaal |
| 11 | Terrance Pieters | 56 | 9 | SV Kampong |
| 16 | Floris Wortelboer | 90 | 4 | HC Bloemendaal |
| 43 | Floris Middendorp | 15 | 0 | AH&BC Amsterdam |
| 20 | Derk Meijer | 7 | 0 | HC Rotterdam |
| 22 | Koen Bijen | 38 | 18 | Den Bosch |
| 23 | Joep de Mol | 128 | 2 | Oranje-Rood |
| 24 | Steijn van Heijningen | 36 | 4 | HC Rotterdam |
| 27 | Jip Janssen | 87 | 30 | SV Kampong |
| 29 | Tijmen Reyenga | 34 | 3 | Oranje-Rood |
| 32 | Justen Blok | 47 | 4 | HC Rotterdam |
| 34 | Derck de Vilder | 43 | 5 | SV Kampong |
| 51 | Duco Telgenkamp | 6 | 5 | SV Kampong |
| Team Manager | Ernst Boekhorst |
| Head Coach | Jeroen Delmee |
| Assistant Coach | Eric Verboom |
| Medical Doctor | Stijn Geraets |
| Physiotherapist | Claire Verheul |
| Physical Trainer | Matthew Eyles |
| Video Technician | Joost Bitterling |
| Video Technician | Joep van Nuland |
Official press release: https://www.knhb.nl/nieuws/bondscoach-delmee-maakt-selectie-ek-hockey-2023-bekend
Wales
- World ranking: 15th
- EuroHockey Championship appearances: 11
- Best finish: 6th – 2 times (1974, 1999, 2019)
Overview: Wales will be competing in the EuroHockey Championship in Germany for a third successive edition of the Euros off the back of their 11th place finish at their debut World Cup in January. Luke Hawker and Rupert Shipperly have been named as captains while Ben Francis is in line to receive his 100th cap at the competition. Gareth Furlong – with 95 goals in 143 games – is there sharp-shooter while star-man Jacob Draper recently signed for Dutch champions Pinoké.
Head Coach Danny Newcombe said: “The opportunity to compete in our third EuroHockey Championships in succession and continue to compete with the European elite is one that we will relish and lean into as a group. There is always something special about a EuroHockey tournament and I am excited to see us continue to set the bar. The squad has a wealth of tournament experience and ready to put another marker down.”
| # | Name | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 2 | Dewi Roblin (GK) | 10 | 0 | Surbiton (ENG) |
| 3 | Daniel Kyriakides | 126 (GBR 11, WAL 115) | 4 (GBR 0, WAL 4) | Der Club an der Alster (GER) |
| 6 | Jacob Draper | 113 (GBR 37, WAL 76) | 3 (GBR 0, WAL 3) | Pinoke (NED) |
| 9 | Rupert Shipperley (c) | 134 (GBR 33, WAL 101) | 25 (GBR 8, WAL 17) | Hampstead & Westminster (ENG) |
| 10 | Rhodri Furlong | 77 | 2 | Holcombe (ENG) |
| 12 | Stephen Kelly | 80 | 5 | Hampstead & Westminster (ENG) |
| 13 | Dale Hutchinson | 104 | 10 | Hampstead & Westminster (ENG) |
| 15 | Rhys Bradshaw | 51 | 4 | Wimbledon (ENG) |
| 18 | Gareth Furlong | 143 | 95 | Surbiton (ENG) |
| 19 | Owain Dolan-Gray | 138 | 22* | Cardiff & Met |
| 20 | Jolyon Morgan | 29 | 6 | Hampstead & Westminster (ENG) |
| 23 | Jack Pritchard | 16 | 2 | Cardiff & Met |
| 24 | Hywel Jones | 55 | 1 | Hampstead & Westminster (ENG) |
| 25 | Benjamin Francis | 97 | 20 | Wimbledon (ENG) |
| 26 | Luke Hawker (c) | 121 | 25* | Cardiff & Met |
| 31 | Gareth Griffiths | 22 | 2 | Beeston (ENG) |
| 35 | Fred Newbold | 15 | 2 | Der Club an der Alster (GER) |
| 50 | Toby Reynolds-Cotterill (GK) | 24 (GBR 4, WAL 20) | 0 | Hampstead & Westminster (ENG) |
| Team Manager | Will Packer |
| Head Coach | Daniel Newcombe |
| Assistant Coach | Martin Schouten |
| Assistant Coach | Ian Haley |
| Physiotherapist | Thomas Jenkins |
| Physiotherapist | Osian Merfyn |
| Video Technician | Sam Rowe |
Official press release: https://www.hockeywales.org.uk/post/hockey-wales-announce-senior-men-s-squad-for-upcoming-european-tournament
