Beautiful Budapest is the venue for the men’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy where some serious star power will hope to power their clubs and potentially their nations up to the top level.
Both Old Georgians and Valenciennes have named Olympians in their line-ups; Pomorzanin Torun, SV Arminen and TJ Plzeň-Litice have Indoor World Cup players while KPH Rača, hosts Soroksári and AD Lousada are well versed in the ways of Euro club competition.
It makes for a fascinating competition from which the top two sides will earn their nations promotion to the Cup in 2026 while the bottom two will be relegated to Challenge I. The eight teams are initially split into two groups of four; from this, the top two in each group go into a promotion playoff group with the bottom two contesting the relegation pool.
** Each game from the EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy will be streamed free of charge on www.eurohockeytv.org for registered users of the site
** Click here for the match schedule – further info on squad lists is available on the “More Info” tab
Men’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy
Pool A
KS Pomorzanin Torun (Poland)
KS Pomorzanin Torun are back in European indoor action for the first time since 2018 when they finished in third place in the Trophy. There are still six links to that team in the panel named for this event and lots of experience to draw on.
Captain Krystian Makowski and Michał Raciniewski have been key parts of their story for a long time – including winning World Cup silver in 2011 – while Ukraine’s Dmytro Luppa has played many tournaments during spells with HC Minsk and OKS SHVSM Vinnitsa.
Their league campaign this year finished in a low-key sixth place in mid-January. Since then, it has been preparing for the tournament in Budapest with recent weeks seeing a rise in intensity at training.
“I am glad that we will be able to play in this prestigious tournament,” says captain Makowski. “We are well prepared and I hope that we will fight for the highest goals.
“We are the champions of Poland and we represent not only our city, but also our country.”
Old Georgians (England)
The emerging force that is Old Georgians will make their EuroHockey indoor debut this weekend having picked up a Euro Hockey League bronze medal last Easter outdoors.
They have done so with a vastly experienced panel with multiple Olympians throughout their panel. Goalkeeper George Pinner was one of the stars of this season’s English indoor championship title retention along with fellow 38-year-old Dan Shingles, racing out of defence to score key goals.
Ashley Jackson is the player-coach masterminding things with Chris Griffiths and Tom Carson others to excel in the club final in Derby in January.
As such, they are something of a wildcard with an array of big names in their panel and it will be fascinating to see how they perform in this environment.
Soroksári HC (Hungary) – picture above
The club is a 21-time indoor national champion, making them one of the most successful teams in Hungarian history. This season, their squad is a unique blend of experienced players and talented U21 national team youngsters, creating a dynamic mix of skill and energy.
One of the standout players is András Hortobágyi, the captain of the Hungarian U21 national team, who was also named the Best Player of the Hungarian Indoor Championship this year.
Another key figure is Imre Farkas who had a fantastic season, finishing as the top goal scorer of the league. In high-pressure moments, the leadership and experience of captain Zsombor Ficzere will be invaluable.
Their preparation included participation in an international indoor tournament in Prague, along with competitive matches at home. Additionally, their younger players gained extra experience at the U21 European Championship, adding another layer to their development. Throughout the domestic league, they displayed strong performances, focusing on refining their game for this challenge.
“Hosting some of the top teams in European indoor hockey on home soil is a huge opportunity, but also a great responsibility,” says coach Marcell Álló.
“Our preparation has gone well, and winning the national championship with confidence gives us motivation. On paper, we are the underdogs, and as newcomers, our realistic goal is to maintain our place in the group. However, with the support of our fans, we are determined to fight for the best possible result.”
TJ Plzeň-Litice (Czechia)
The rising force in Czech hockey, TJ Plzeň-Litice recently won their national indoor title once again and have taken the laurels three times now in total.
They have a lot of know-how from major events; Martin Seemann was at the Indoor World Cup in South Africa in 2023; Adam Uhlíř, Vojtěch Pažitka, Seemann and Kryštof Šesták were at the EuroHockey Indoor Championships in 2024 in Leuven.
Indeed, captain Uhlíř is also the captain of the Czech national team, Seemann has long been one of the best Czech indoor players. In preparation, the side has also played practice matches against Indonesia which have proven invaluable.
“We are extremely pleased with the support of our fans, they have accompanied us everywhere we have been to European tournaments recently,” says coach Tomáš Levý. “They are also going to Budapest, which we greatly appreciate.”
Pool B
AD Lousada (POR)
Lousada has been a dominant force in national indoor hockey in Portugal, having won the national championship 18 times in the last 20 years, with the most recent victory coming just last week.
The entire team brings valuable experience from EuroHockey club competitions but they have standout individuals such as José Valinhas and Vasco Ribeiro, both of whom played in the Indoor EuroHockey Championship in Leuven last year. Their international experience and dedication have been key to their success.
In preparation, the team has been training intensely, focusing on refining our tactics, physical conditioning, and team chemistry, working closely with the coaching staff to ensure they are fully prepared for the challenges ahead.
Coach Hugo Santos says of the event: “We have a great mix of experience and youth in our squad. The focus is on maintaining a high level of intensity while staying disciplined, as we know these tournaments can be decided by the smallest margins.
“We are also aware of the level of this Trophy, with big teams like Arminen, Torun and Old Georgians, for example, but we will do our best and take it game by game.”
HC Valenciennes (France)
HC Valenciennes – hailing from the French border with Belgium – are playing in just their second EuroHockey Indoor competition, their last one coming in 2015 when they finished in sixth place in the Trophy in Lyngby.
While they are rare visitors on this scene, there is already quite a few in their panel who have played in the EHL this season in October with Lille MHC outdoors. Among them are Paris Olympian Brieuc Delemazure, Adrien Cousin and 17-year-old Malo Martinache, the latter holding the record as the youngest male player in the EHL.
They reached the semi-final stage of the French national competition again this year before falling to eventual champions CA Montrouge. Yoann Lebrun has been their key man for goals, scoring 15 times in the French championship.
KPH Rača (Slovakia)
Hockey Club Rača (KPH Rača) is currently the largest field hockey club in Slovakia, covering all categories from students, youth, to women and men.
The beginning of the club’s activities dates back to July 1950 and the club has been building a youth base since its inception, where it trains its prospects, coaches and referees.
They are one of the clubs that even after the reorganisation of competitions in the early 1960s, when more than 40 active clubs and sections in Slovakia gradually disappeared, survived and contributed significantly to the re-expansion of field hockey in Slovakia.
KPH Rača continues the successes of former players. It forms the basis for the Slovak national team, is a multiple champion of Slovakia, and successfully participates in international competitions and events.
As captain Matej Jelacic used to say: “yes, you still can!!” Tomas Romanec is a multiple Austrian champion with Post SV Wien; Matus Parajka has the most international games played during his long career.
This season, their team managed to make it to Final4 of the Czech Extraliga competition.
SV Arminen (Austria)
One of EuroHockey Indoor Club Cup’s most decorated sides, the Austrian side have won four silver and one bronze medal on the top tier while their two appearances in the Trophy have seen them win gold (2014) and silver (2004).
This season, they were runners-up to Post in Austria championship before a quartet of their players departed for the Indoor World Cup where they won silver; those were Alexander Bele, captain Sebastian Eitenberger, Patrick Schmidt and goalkeeper Mateusz Szymczyk.
On the down side for this tournament, they will be without some star men as Florian Hackl, Max Kelner, Konstantin Klimon and Florian Steyrer will be playing this week with the national outdoor team in Oman at the FIH Nations Cup 2.
Nonetheless, their squad is one of the most experienced on the circuit and ready to make their mark.
