Around ten days have passed since the men's national team finished the World Cup tournament in the Czech Republic in sixth place. It's been running since then DEB the analysis is in full swing, right in the middle DEB-Sports director Christian Künast, who talks to everyone involved, collects feedback and implements the findings. In the interview, the 53-year-old talks about the extensive reappraisal work that will take place after the World Cup.
A few days after the World Cup in the Czech Republic: What is your conclusion about the tournament?
Christian Künast: "We played a decent tournament. In particular, the offensive performance and the creative element in the game design were at an overall high level."
What was good and what could have gone better in your opinion?
Christian Künast: "In terms of playing, we have a lot of quality in all formations, which is also shown by the outstanding goal tally of 35 tournament goals and the strong power play rate. We can keep up with a certain pace that prevails at international level and also increase it ourselves. A few problems have become apparent in our own zone and partly in the build-up of the game. We would like to create even more goal threat in the game from the blue line. This is a process that begins with the basic work with the young talent."
How does the processing of the tournament work with everyone involved, who do you talk to?
Christian Künast: "I have already had an initial, detailed conversation with Harry. We have put our analyses together and evaluated them. We see many things the same, but we evaluate some things slightly differently. This is good for the process of further development. It would also be unusual if we were to agree on the way we work through things. The analysis is of course still ongoing."
What insights did you gain from the tournament for your work?
Christian Künast: “Many of the insights I gained from my work as sports director at DEB in recent years have largely been confirmed. We are not yet where we would like to be at the U18 level. Other nations have players from the U18 and U20 at the A World Cup. We are not that far yet. Offensively, we are more broadly positioned than in the past, and we also have a well-rehearsed staff with whom we have developed positively over the past three years. In the past five years, we have reached one final, one semi-final and three quarter-finals. That is a very good ratio. At the same time, we know how close it is when it comes to the final round. The quarter-final game is a tightrope walk in which the smallest things decide whether you advance or not. It will remain that way in the coming years."
“It is by no means a given that we will reach the quarter-finals of a World Cup.”
You've just topped five finals appearances in a row. How should this positive development be classified?
Christian Künast: "As I said, that's a strong rate, because reaching the quarter-finals at a World Cup is not something to be taken for granted. It's a success that many people work towards. If we want to continue that, we have to keep working even harder and constantly question ourselves. That also means tackling and changing uncomfortable things. That's the only way we can maintain this standard."
How do you classify the end of the tournament with sixth place and what does world ranking eighth mean for you?
Christian Künast: "In the end, the result in the quarter-finals hurt us, especially because it was so close. The bottom line is that we were knocked out in the quarter-finals with a good final placing. We also see ourselves between sixth and eighth in the world rankings, but of course it always depends on how the other nations finish. There will be changes after every World Cup. Looking at the rankings, it is clear that the top ten teams are definitely capable of winning a medal at a World Cup."
Last week the national coaches conference was on the agenda. To what extent was the World Cup discussed?
Christian Künast: "The men's World Cup in the Czech Republic was a focus of the joint exchange. In addition, all the other national coaches presented their analyses from their work with the national teams. We had a constructive exchange and worked through the findings of the past season. Now it's about looking ahead, taking our results from the conference with us and implementing new ideas."
Keyword analysis: What does the men's national team need in order to continue to develop in the future?
Christian Künast: "Hard work, no standstill and the courage to take risks in certain areas. Ultimately, it's about being a unit. All of ice hockey in Germany has to pull together, no matter what the issue. Even if not all individual needs can always be taken into account, it's about the bigger picture."