France’s men go into next week’s EuroHockey Championships on a high after they landed a win and a draw this week against world number one side, the Netherlands.
Louis Haertelmeyer’s 56th minute goal on Thursday evening in Den Bosch earned them a 1-0 win to add to a 2-2 draw earlier in the week. In that one, France also led 2-0 before a last minute Jip Janssen corner denied them victory.
Nonetheless, it is a positive move for the French side who won took bronze at the FIH Nations Cup in Malaysia in June.
It is a side which is much changed since last summer’s Olympic Games with 10 players from their wider panel remaining while the vast experience of Arthur Thieffry, Simon Martin-Brisac, Blaise Rogeau, Gaspard Baumgarten, Christophe Peters-Deutz and Charles Masson have moved on.
Noé Jouin and Viktor Lockwood are also not involved for this Euros from the Olympic panel, making it something of a new breed. As such, it is a side looking to continue to merge with successful youth sides, most recently this summer’s Under-18 European silver medalists and the Junior World Cup silver medalists from 2023.
Haertelmeyer – pictured above captaining the French Under-21s – is one of the newest faces; he has already scored three times in seven caps. Even newer to the side is Lille’s Malo Martinache who made his debut in that win over the Dutch and is just 18 – he holds the record as the youngest player to line out in an EHL game.
Similarly, opportunity knocks for the likes of Stanislas Branicki, Benjamin Marqué and Xavier Esmenjaud to continue to become more central figures in the panel.
At the other end of the spectrum, Victor Charlet remains the go-to man from corners; his 158 international goals is 40 more than the combined total of his team mates with Timothée Clément next on 29.
François Goyet captains the side while Corentin Saunier and Edgar Reynaud will vye for the goalkeeping duties.
It is a side which will be largely Belgian based next season with Corentin Sellier and Lucas Montecot moving from Montrouge to Beerschot while Clément goes to Herakles; Marqué is switching from Daring to Racing Club de Bruxelles.
They are coached for the first time at a Euros by John-John Dohmen who won five medals in the competition as a player including gold in 2019 in Antwerp.
France men’s squad for EuroHockey Championships
| # | Name | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 1 | Edgar Reynaud (GK) | 49 | 0 | Daring (BEL) |
| 2 | Gaspard Xavier | 44 | 1 | Racing Club de Bruxelles |
| 3 | Mattéo Desgouillons | 55 | 0 | Racing Club de Bruxelles |
| 4 | Brieuc Delemazure | 40 | 1 | Lille MHC |
| 5 | Stanislas Branicki | 33 | 1 | Royal Beerschot (BEL) |
| 6 | Corentin Sellier | 33 | 9 | Royal Beerschot (BEL) |
| 7 | Lucas Montecot | 20 | 1 | Royal Beerschot (BEL) |
| 8 | Xavier Esmenjaud | 13 | 7 | Herakles (BEL) |
| 13 | Benjamin Marqué | 26 | 5 | Racing Club de Bruxelles |
| 14 | Malo Martinache | 1 | 0 | Lille MHC |
| 16 | François Goyet (Capt) | 164 | 23 | Saint Germain |
| 18 | Eliot Curty | 76 | 5 | Waterloo Ducks (BEL) |
| 21 | Etienne Tynevez | 127 | 28 | Gantoise (BEL) |
| 22 | Victor Charlet | 170 | 158 | Polo Hockey Club |
| 24 | Amaury Bellenger | 82 | 4 | Uccle (BEL) |
| 28 | Timothée Clément | 72 | 29 | Herakles (BEL) |
| 31 | Corentin Saunier (GK) | 46 | 0 | Polo Hockey Club |
| 95 | Louis Haertelmeyer | 7 | 3 | CAM92 |
