No, Gonzalo Peillat is definitely not a speaker. The 29-year-old usually speaks quietly and maintains a rather reserved demeanor. At least off the hockey field. On the field, however, Peillat lets it rip.
His penalty corners are feared around the world. With a mixture of brute elemental force and extremely high precision, Peillat flicks on goal. His hit rate is breathtaking. The defender has scored 176 goals in 153 appearances for the Argentine national team.
World star Peillat plays for Mannheim in the Bundesliga
This weekend, however, Peillat celebrates his debut in the jersey of the German national team. As part of the Pro-League games against Spain on Saturday and Sunday in Mönchengladbach, “Gonzo” will appear in the team of national coach André Henning for the first time.
Peillat recently acquired German citizenship. “I would like to live here in Germany with my girlfriend. With the German passport it is easier to work and travel here and to plan my future in Germany“, says Peillat, who has played for Mannheimer HC in the Bundesliga for six years.
Argentines with supposedly German qualities
His girlfriend, former Argentina international Florencia Habif, also plays for the MHC. With the German passport in his pocket, Peillat can also appear internationally for the German Hockey Federation. Unlike many other sports, it is possible in hockey to play for different national teams over the course of a career.
“He doesn’t give up the ball, he wins his duels, he does what you would call German“, says the new national coach Henning about the world star, which he can now integrate into his ranks.
Top scorer and gold at the 2016 Olympics
Peillat fell out with the Argentine national coach in 2019 and has not played internationally since then. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, however, he surprisingly led the Argentines to the gold medal.
Peillat was the Olympic tournament’s top scorer, scored three penalty corners in the semi-final against Germany and was the defining figure of his national team – much like Lionel Messi in football.
“He shoots the best corner in the world and that’s a quality we’ve been missing“, says Peillat’s new teammate Mats Grambusch. “I hope he can take us back to the top of the world.“
In fact, the hope is not unfounded, because efficiency in penalty corners has always been a problem for the German men in recent years.