Against the eventual Champions in the quarter-finals eliminated – more than this small consolation remained to the German hockey players before they went to the world Cup in Bhubaneswar now on the plane that should take you from warm India to cold Germany. Of Belgium, in the round of the last eight at the 2:1 only just, but still highly superior against the German Team, reached all the goals at once: After the resounding 6:0 in the semi-final against England, the Belgians in the penalty shootout of the finals secured the first title, and that the endgame had been opponents of the neighbor from the Netherlands, will have increased the pleasure. And by the way, climbed the new world champion and Olympic silver medal winner of Rio 2016 is also the first place in the world rankings.

Peter Ford

sports editor.

F. A. Z.

The Belgian success is created on the drawing Board, and the long way to the top started about fifteen years ago. At that time, the king put Royal Belgian hockey Association on a foreign coach its national team closer to the far removed world. At the 2006 world Cup in Germany showed, for the first time to Belgium in the future would be. And this development took quite steep trains, as in the German neighboring country similar to the Netherlands on full profitum has been set, and foreign players density of the Competition in the Belgian League increased.

The step to the top step so far missed

But the last step to the top step missed Belgium: In the European championship final in 2013 in the domestic Boom, there was a 1:3 against Germany, in the Olympic final in Rio, the Argentine penalty was cover thickness for the 2:4 responsible, and at the European Championships in 2017 in Amstelveen, the 2 submitted:0 interval lead against the Netherlands – at the end of it 2:4. Apparently a final curse on the Belgians, and the rail is now also in distant India, to continue. Because in the penalty shootout to the Netherlands quickly led 2:0, because the first two Belgian failed to Protect. But goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch was the great hero of this final, held for the Belgians still have a special arc of tension just before winning the first major title of Europe.