The second season of the FIH Hockey Pro League gets underway in January 2020 after a hugely successful first edition. We caught up with the coaches and players from the participating teams as they prepare for the new-look FIH Hockey Pro League season to get underway. In the following interview, Germany men’s midfielder Tobias Hauke – a double Olympic gold medallist from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and the FIH Men’s player of the Year for 2013 – looks ahead to forthcoming season and what the Pro League means to him and his team.
Germany (FIH World Ranking: 6) finished the 2019 FIH Hockey Pro League season in sixth position. Their 2020 campaign starts with an away fixture against Spain (WR:8) on 24 January 2020.
What did the side learn from the first season of the FIH Hockey Pro League?
Tobias Hauke: “I actually didn’t play the first season because of injury, but I tried to watch nearly every game, not only the German games. I think we learned a lot because it was the first time that we’ve had big games every month, we never had it before. I think this is also what we will try to do better for this year, to be ready in the head for big games coming every one or two weeks and not just having half a year break until the next big games come. So, we have to be mentally ready for the big games.”
What are the team’s ambitions for this second season?
Tobias Hauke: “First of all, I’m really looking forward to playing my first Pro League game – I didn’t play last year, as I said already. I want to stay on the pitch and play the big teams. Of course, we want to be better than last year, we want to try to make a big step ahead of the [Tokyo 2020] Olympics, to play good games against the best teams from all over the world. I think this is why we all love the sport, [the chance] to play against the best from the world.”
What are your thoughts on the new FIH Hockey Pro League format that will be introduced in the second season?
Tobias Hauke: “I think it is important to change it this year, ahead of the Olympics because last year every team travelled a lot just for one game. This year I think we, as Germany, have a really good schedule. We play Australia, New Zealand and I think India at home, so the only ‘overseas’ [outside Europe] trip is to Argentina. I think [ahead] of the Olympics and a year like this, with hockey every day, it is quite important that we don’t travel too much. I think it is a smart change from the FIH.”
Which fixture are you most looking forward to?
Tobias Hauke: “First of all, I love to play against every team, but this year it is easy for me because we have three games in my home city of Hamburg. I think we play Belgium once and New Zealand twice here in Hamburg at UHC [Uhlenhorster Hockey-Club], and I’m really looking forward to playing in front of my family and my friends, and that is what I really love.”
What was your #MyProLeagueMoment of the first season?
Tobias Hauke: “I didn’t play on the pitch, so this is just as a spectator, but I watched a few really good and interesting games. I have to say that my FIH Pro League moment of the first season was the victory of Germany [against] the Netherlands in front of a full crowd in Rotterdam. It was just 1-0, but you know in the past Germany was always good if they didn’t [concede] many goals, and in this game they played really good. I really loved to see it.”
What message have you got for the fans to get them along to watch the matches in the second season?
Tobias Hauke: “Hockey fans all over the world, what can I say? Come to the games of the FIH Pro League. I think that this year, especially ahead of the Olympics, you will see hockey on the highest level. You will see all the big players, world class players over the last years, and some players for the last time. So, I think it’s pretty cool to come to these games and watch these games of a high level.”
Re-live the first edition of the FIH Pro League on www.fihproleague.com and www.fih.live!
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