The German Hockey Federation (DHB) believe that 100,000 fans will be present across the EuroHockey Championships this summer.
The Warsteiner HockeyPark in Mönchengladbach will host the event between Aug 18 and 27, the first time Europe’s showpiece event will be staged in Germany.
The European champions will directly qualify for the Olympic Games at Paris 2024.
Sixteen teams with eight teams per gender will fight for the European championship title over the course of 40 games in the Mönchengladbach HockeyPark.
“Up to 100,000 spectators are expected to enthusiastically cheer on the teams in Germany’s biggest hockey stadium,” a release stated.
However, German organisers will have their work cut out given the low attendances at Pro League games there.
“40 games within 10 days will offer numerous sporting highlights and the best entertainment,” said Nina Holtgrewe, Event Director at DHB.
“We expect nationwide and international TV broadcasts as well as a wide media reach, also in the top hockey nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium and England.”
Hockey is becoming increasingly popular in Germany. The DHB has around 100,000 members who actively play hockey and the trend is on the rise: even during the pandemic, the DHB was the only team sport federation to sustain a slight increase in members.”