EuroHockey Indoor Club Championships LIVE

Four divisions of the men's EuroHockey Indoor Club Championships get under way today. EuroHockey has had a quick look at the contenders for glory this weekend (12-14 February):

EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Cup (Hamburg, Germany):
The EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Cup will be hosted by Harvestehuder THC will hope to progress their hopes of emulating their spectacular 2014. Two years ago, the club won both the Euro Hockey League and EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Cup, claiming the latter for the third time with a 10-4 final win over Dinamo Yekaterineburg in 2014.

Key to their chances are Michael Körper (joint top scorer in Prague for Austria) while Tobias Lietz and Tobias Walter were part of the German side that won the European Championships last month in Prague.

They are in a group with Sweden’s Partille, last year’s fourth place team and here in Hamburg with a stronger team than last year.

In addition to Switzerland’s Luzerner, under new coach Chris Faust, and SK Slavia Praha from the Czech Republic.

The other side of the draw features Spain’s CHPV Complutense who have Swedish international Philip Hellstrand in their team.

England’s East Grinstead are playing in their second European tournament in Hamburg already this season and will use much of the squad that won their English title once again last weekend.

Ben Alberry was one of their key goalscorers while Scotland’s Ross Stott and German player Jannis Schwebs could be key figures for them.

Austria’s SV Arminen are always a threat, especially having claimed the Rohrmax Cup last weekend. They have previously won silver and bronze in this competition. Michael Mantler, Daniel Frolich, Patrick Schmidt, Dominic Uher, Stefan Eitenberger, Michael Minar, Mateusz Szymczyk and Pit Rudofsky were also part of the national team’s run to silver at the Euros last month.

Poland’s WKS Grunwald Poznan are similarly well stacked with Pawel Bratkowski leading as captain while the rest of their panel has a wealth of indoor club and international experience.

So overall a very tight event hoped for in Hamburg!

The tournament is being streamed throughout the weekend via https://www.youtube.com/user/fihockey/videos?view=2&flow=grid

EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy (Pavlovskii Posad, Russia):
In the second tier of the EuroHockey Club event this weekend, the hosts Dinamo Elektrostal will be looking to earn their place back in the top division which they lost out on last year.

However in their pool are also Cambrai, AHBC and Olimpia Kolos Sekvoya. In Pool A HC Namur, like the Russians will be looking to get back to the Championship division having lost their place in 2015.

They are joined by Scottish Champions Inverleith as well as HC Minsk and Atlético Clube de Portugal

The games will be streamed via the FIH You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/fihockey/videos?flow=grid&view=2

EuroHockey Indoor Club Challenge I (Varna-Kamchia, Bulgaria):
At the Challenge 1 in Varna, 8 teams will line up, with 2 taking promotion to the Trophy in Varna. Hc Klippari, HAHK Mladost, HC NSA Sofia, HC Bra, Queen’s University Belfast HC, SK Senkvice, Slagelse HC and Cardiff and Met are the teams present and we are delighted that all the games will be streamed live via the FIH You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/fihockey/videos?flow=grid&view=2

EuroHockey Indoor Club Challenge II (Puconci, Slovenia):
In the fourth division, being held in Puconci, Slovenia there are seven teams participating. The teams are: Anavryta HC, Epitok HC, Kutaisi, HK Triglav Predanovci, Aker Sports Club, Highway HC, HK Elektrovojvodina