For the brothers Mats and Tom Gambusch, the European Hockey Championships in their hometown of Mönchengladbach (18th to 27th August) are something special. After winning the World Championships, the next gold medal is to come.
When the German men’s hockey team start their European Championships at home with the opening game against Wales at Gladbach Hockey Park on Saturday (6 p.m.), it will be a special moment for national team captain Mats Grambusch and his brother Tom, who is two years younger.
“It feels like 500 meters as the crow flies to the HTC in Gladbach – that’s where we encountered hockey for the first time and experienced an incredibly cool youth. We have close ties to the city, it’s our home. Our mother still lives here. We are happy to see many old faces in the stadium and to celebrate a great hockey event together,” said Tom Grabusch in the SID interview.
Tom Grambusch: We want to stand there with gold in our hands”
Defender Tom (28), who, like his brother Mats, who is two years his senior, is playing for champions Rot-Weiss Köln in the Bundesliga today, is confident about the upcoming tournament: “We want to be European champions, we’re going into the tournament as world champions. Even if you the tournaments, the goal is to be there with gold in hand on August 27th.” The announcements have become more self-confident in the team of the German Hockey Association, the surprise coup at the World Cup in January gives a lot of momentum.
The DHB-Elf started the tournament in India as an outsider, three impressive comebacks in the knockout round later and the third world championship title. In the final against Belgium, the team, led by the outstanding striker Niklas Wellen, turned a 0:2 deficit and won the penalty shootout.
Mats Grambusch: “It’s going to be a huge hockey festival”
Twelve years after the last major tournament on German soil, this time the almost 10,000 fans in Mönchengladbach should also become a factor. “We hope that the German fans, even after this long drought, in which no major tournament was held in Germany, will come enough and take drums and other things with them to create a great atmosphere. It will be a huge hockey festival, I’m one of them convinced,” says Mats Grambusch.
Highlight of the preliminary round and by far the most difficult task in the early stages of the tournament? The classic against the Netherlands on Monday (6 p.m.), in which the captain hopes for an “open exchange of blows”. In addition, France is still waiting on the way to the next title on Wednesday.
Title would mean Olympic qualification
This would have a pleasant side effect: direct qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games, which is only granted to the winners of the European Championship tournament.
“That’s why it’s not only a title that we’re incredibly happy to win, but it also makes our preparations for Paris much easier. It’s also the first home tournament for Mats, me and the team – and there probably won’t be any more in the next few years. That’s why the European Championship is between the World Cup and the Olympic Games, but it’s still a mega event and is extremely important,” said Tom Grambusch.
“I know exactly what Tom wants from me”
On the pitch, the two brothers understand each other almost blindly – but not (just) because they are brothers. “Honestly, we don’t understand at all, we’re always on the opposite side,” says Mats Grambusch with a laugh.
“No, it’s not because we’re brothers, it’s mostly because we’ve been playing together for an insane amount of time. We started out in the GHTC, in the second division and briefly in the first division. Now we’ve been together in Rot- Weiss Köln and he’s been on the pitch for eight years with the national team. I know exactly what Tom wants from me, no matter what his facial expression is. It’s a super good understanding, but I don’t just attribute it to the fact that we’re brothers.”
The brothers also complement each other well when it comes to their strengths. “Mats is very creative on the pitch, he’s an incredibly strong player technically. He can control the game – offensively, but also emotionally,” says Tom about Mats. “Tom’s one-on-one defense is huge, there’s hardly a player who is that strong. It’s because of his reach and athleticism,” says Mats of Tom.
