Hockey: German coach Valentin Altenburg resigns!
The coach of the German national ice hockey team, Valentin Altenburg, has resigned with immediate effect.
"It was a very difficult decision for me, but I think it's the right time for a change," Altenburg said.
Altenburg has been head coach of the German team since 2018. Under his leadership, the team won the bronze medal at the 2021 World Championship and finished fourth at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
However, the team has struggled in recent months, winning just one of its last five games. Altenburg has come under increasing pressure from fans and the media to resign.
"I'm proud of what we've achieved together, but I think it's time for a new voice in the locker room," Altenburg said.
The German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) has not yet announced a replacement for Altenburg.
Assistant coach Harold Kreis has been appointed interim head coach.
Kreis has been with the German national team since 2015 and has a strong reputation as a coach and player developer.
He led the German U-20 team to a silver medal at the 2016 World Junior Championship and was an assistant coach on the German team that won the bronze medal at the 2021 World Championship.
Kreis will be responsible for leading the German team at the upcoming World Championship in Finland.
The DEB is expected to name a permanent replacement for Altenburg in the coming weeks.
Several candidates are reportedly in the running for the job, including former German national team player Marco Sturm and current DEL coach Don Jackson.
Sturm is currently the head coach of the Eisbären Berlin in the DEL. He has a wealth of experience as a player and coach, having played in the NHL for over a decade and coached the German national team from 2015 to 2018.
Jackson is currently the head coach of the Adler Mannheim in the DEL. He has a strong track record of success at the club level, having won the DEL championship in 2019 and 2021.
The DEB is expected to make a decision on a permanent replacement for Altenburg in the coming weeks.
