Belgium hockey chiefs said there was now a “breakdown of a trust” with their Dutch counterparts after Raoul Ehren stepped down as Red Panthers coach ahead of his expected unveiling as Oranje head coach.
Last week, Royal Belgian Hockey Association CEO Serge Pilet said that Ehren has been contacted by the Dutch federation to replace the outgoing Paul van Ass, who ended his tenure with Olympic gold last month.
“Raoul Ehren informed the Royal Belgian Hockey Association that he wished to renounce his contract, which he signed last May, for a further two years,”said Pilet.
“As an employer, it’s complicated to keep someone against their will. Even so, we’re very disappointed by the way things have turned out. We have enjoyed a relationship of trust with our Dutch counterparts for many years. This situation shows a breakdown in that mutual trust.
“For our part, we are activating our contacts to find a new world-class T1 who will take the team to even greater heights… while thanking Raoul for the work he has done to take our Red Panthers to their current position of third in the world rankings,’ concludes Serge Pilet.
Ehren, a multiple winning coach with Den Bosch, joined Belgium women in 2020.
At the end of August, Marc Lammers told Dutch media: “Finding a successor is not that difficult. He is walking around in Belgium. Raoul Ehren has not signed a new contract there yet, I believe. I don’t think you can find a more suitable candidate.”
