Belgium Women’s Team Would Hope to Build on the Success Story Crafted Under Exiting Coach Raoul Ehren
The Belgium women’s hockey team have been consistency-personified ever since the reins of the national team have been foisted on coach Raoul Ehren – there’s no denying the fact that the 51-year-old Dutchman has been able to take Belgium women’s hockey on the upswing since taking charge in late 2020 from another Dutchman Thijseen Niels (whom he served as his assistant). Niels had a five-year stint with the Red Panthers. Ehren stepping down from his role as Belgium eves coach after ‘delivering probably more than what he was expected to’, must be ‘discomforting news’ since the red brigade have progressed in leaps and bounds under his tutelage.
In the professional hockey world, it is only understandable that good, quality coaches would be greeted with ‘opportunities’ and in this scenario Ehren is departing as Belgium eves coach to take up the chief coach role of Olympic gold medallist Netherlands as Paul Van Ass (a former Indian men’s hockey team coach for a brief while) has announced his intent to relinquish his coach as Dutch eves coach. What is interesting is that Belgium-Netherlands have a rich hockey rivalry over decades much like India-Pakistan or Australia-New Zealand, although the magnitude may vary. The move by Ehren can be a seen as ‘a routine coach quitting his job’ but the words of the Royal Belgian Hockey Association CEO Serge Pilet pointing to a breakdown in mutual trust between the two traditional hockey nations should be an indicator that Ehren’s exit move has created a trail of disappointment among the Belgium hockey fraternity.
It may be worth recalling that Ehren had joined the Belgium women’s hockey set up as an Assistant Coach to Chief Coach Thijseen Niels before the 2019 Euro Hockey Championship at Antwerp, and has subsequently forged a strong relationship with the team. A coach with an outstanding track record at the highest level in the Netherlands, his exit is a big loss for the Red Panthers.
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After all, no national team wants to lose a ‘highly-performing coach’. It is learnt that Ehren signed a two-year extension contract in May 2023 and his move makes it all more eye-catching. He propelled Belgium to its first-ever Olympic semifinal appearance at the 2024 Paris edition – something considered a ‘massive feat’ in the context of Red Panthers’ hockey history and it only needed a shootout for Belgium women to take the exit door of the tournament after losing 2-3 following a hard-fought 1-1 scoreline in regulation time.
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The coaching exploits of Ehren were there for all to see as the Red Panthers climbed to number 3 in world rankings. The likes of Delphine-Daphne Marien and Charlotte Englebert, who scored in their famous 2-0 quarterfinal win over Spain, were effusive in their praise of Ehren. “We are so such like a really close group, and we know it’s each other’s strengths. The coach (Raoul Ehren) really sees it and he makes sure we are in the right place. I think that’s why we are so good together.” It was another shootout in the bronze medal play-off tie where Argentina had the last laugh over Belgium.
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Ehren made his coaching debut for the Red Panthers during the 2020-2021 Pro League against Great Britain at Royal Uccle Sport, Brussels – a match they lost 1-3 in a shootout after being tied 1-1 in normal time. Belgium eves did gave a good account of themselves in the Pro League this year under Ehrens, finishing 4th. At the 2023-24 Pro League, he saw Belgium pull off a rare 2-1 win over the Netherlands at Utrecht in a famous come-from-behind victory – their first-ever win over the Dutch eves in the Pro League across all editions. The 51-year-old coach also played his part in Belgium eves’ attaining a silver-medal finish at the 2023 Euro Hockey Championships, thus improving on their bronze-medal finish in the 2022 edition.
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Ehren has acquired fame as a coach with Dutch club Den Bosch, helping Den Bosch women achieve unprecedented club success both in the Netherlands and Europe. Under Ehren, Den Bosch clinched the national crown eight times over the past ten seasons. The Belgium hockey association has gone into an overdrive to find an ideal replacement for Raoul Ehren, who has propelled the Red Panthers to new heights in last two-three years. Irrespective of who replaces Ehren as Belgium eves’ coach, the new-would-be-coach would have to carry the weight of ‘expectations’ of building on the good work of Ehren.
Raoul Ehren’s Win-Loss Record as Belgium Eves Coach
| Matches Coached | 68 |
| Won | 35 |
| Lost | 22 |
| Draws | 11 |
| Biggest Win as Belgium Eves Coach | Won 7-0 vs New Zealand at the 2022-23 Pro League at Antwerp |
| Biggest Defeat as Belgium Eves Coach | Lost 0-4 vs Netherlands at the 2021-22 Pro League at Brussels |
| Last Encounter as Belgium Eves Coach | Lost to China 3-2 in a shootout (1-1) at the 2024 Paris Olympics |
Images Credit: Twitter & FIH
