Former Argentina international Lucina von der Heyde has been cleared to represent Germany after world hockey approved her switch of allegiances.
The FIH executive board has given the green light to the German Hockey Federation allowing von der Heyde, a former Argentina forward, to become eligible for the German women’s national team.
Von der Heyde, 28, won the Under-21 World Cup with Argentina in 2016 and was named best young player at the 2018 Women’s World Cup. She has not played an international match for Argentina for more than three years, meeting the eligibility criteria under FIH rules.
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The Argentina-born forward has lived in Germany for several years and plays club hockey for Mannheimer HC. She has already joined Germany’s national training camp in South Africa but will only be able to make her international debut after the upcoming FIH Pro League stage in Valencia in March.
“It was a difficult decision that required a lot of thought, but I am very grateful for the opportunity I have been given,” von der Heyde said in a statement.
“From day one, both the team and the coaching staff gave me a very warm welcome and made me feel comfortable, which was very important for me,” she added. “I really wanted to play at this level again and I’m really looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.”
Von der Heyde said her long-term residence in Germany played a key role in her decision.
“I have been playing in Germany for many years, know the culture well and identify very much with the playing philosophy and the proposed playing system,” she said. “I will always do my best to represent this team in the best possible way, with great commitment and respect.”
Germany head coach Janneke Schopman welcomed the addition of the experienced attacker, describing her as a natural fit for the squad.
“Everyone likes to have a player like Luchi von der Heyde in their team,” Schopman said. “I’ve known Luchi for 10 years and she was already a very good player back then.”
Schopman said discussions with the player had been ongoing for several months.
“She has been living in Germany for a long time, knows many DANAS players and also the German culture well,” she added. “We think she fits very well into our team and are happy that she is here.”
Von der Heyde’s switch follows a similar high-profile change of allegiance involving Argentina-born defender Gonzalo Peillat, who became the first men’s international to move from Argentina to Germany.
Peillat, an Olympic champion with Argentina in 2016, later represented Germany at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after meeting eligibility requirements.
