27 August 2025

Gold rush in Mönchengladbach-KLU with double participation in European Championship triumph in field hockey

Triumph in field hockey from August 8 to 17, the European Hockey Championships took place in Mönchengladbach in front of a crowd of over 9,500 fans. The German men's national team prevailed against the Netherlands in a thrilling final: after a 1-1 draw in regular time, Germany won the penalty shootout 5-2 and was crowned European champion.

A German player in a white jersey is in full sprint, extending his stick to control the ball, while the opposing goalkeeper in green and red protective gear dives low in an attempt to block him.

Right in the middle of it all were two faces with ties to KLU. Alumnus Benedikt Schwarzhaupt (BSc, graduating in 2022) and Justus Weigand, who will begin his master’s degree in international management at KLU in September. Weigand played a decisive role in the final: he scored the goal to make it 1-1, which took Germany into the penalty shootout, where he also confidently converted his own penalty and scored a total of four goals in the tournament.

Reflecting on the win, Justus stated: “It's just fantastic to have won the title in front of our own fans at the European Championships on home turf. I'm super happy and still overwhelmed. After a few days away from the celebrations and a little vacation, I'm looking forward to starting a new chapter in Hamburg, playing hockey at the Hamburger Polo Club and starting my master's degree at KLU.”