Olympic Games 2024 - Hockey coach goes off the deep end and yells at player, "Shut up and come here".
The German women's hockey team has taken a step towards the quarterfinals with their second win at the Olympic Games. In their third group game, the team coached by head coach Valentin Altenburg defeated hosts France 5:1 (3:0). The goals for the World Cup fourth-placed team were scored by captain Nike Lorenz (3rd, 52nd and 53rd minute), Charlotte Stapenhorst (11th) and Amelie Wortmann (28th). Yohanna Lhopital (51st) was successful for France.
Uproar during halftime: Hockey coach yells at professional player
There was a heated argument after the first quarter when Altenburg verbally attacked national player Anne Schröder in a manner clearly audible to TV viewers. "Anne, shut up now and come here, this is annoying, your body language," said the 43-year-old: "That's not good from you. My goodness, now get a grip."
Altenburg was visibly upset about Schröder's behavior, who had turned away from the team circle and briefly shaken her head before his outburst. The 29-year-old took the coach's tirade without responding audibly.
However, in a joint interview after the game, both coach and player downplay the incident. According to a report by "Bild", Altenburg doesn't even remember the outburst. "I can't deny it," he is quoted as saying. "Anne and I have been working together for years. That's unconditional trust. The team needed emotions. We delivered them."
Hockey professional Schröder had to laugh about the emotional outburst, she said. "That's where a lot of demand and perfectionism meet. It's forgotten again." The uproar was appropriate at that moment.
"He was simply dissatisfied because he felt I was letting my shoulder drop. I got a brief talk. That was okay for me at that moment. I've known Valentin for a long time, we have a very close relationship of trust. That's why we don't hold it against each other and just move on."
German women's hockey team beats Netherlands and France
Sportingly, everything went according to plan at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in the northeast of Paris. It took just over two and a half minutes for the Germans to take the lead. France's women are participating in the Olympic hockey tournament for the first time and had trouble with the experienced Germans, who despite some mistakes played their strengths overall well. Above all, the 27-year-old Lorenz convinced with her three goals.
Previously, the team had won 2:0 against Japan in their opening game and then had to settle for a 1:2 defeat against top favorite Netherlands. In the remaining two games in group A, the EM third-placed team will face China on Friday (10:00) and vice-European champion Belgium on Saturday (19:45). Four of the six teams will advance directly to the quarterfinals.
During the team's preparation for the next game, Altenburg expressed his concerns about Schröder's performance on the field, saying, "Hockey is a team sport, and I expect more commitment from each player, especially you, Anne."
Despite the halftime incident, the German women's hockey team continued their strong performance, defeating the Netherlands 3-2 in their following group game.
