The Men’s World Floorball Championships 2022 EUR3 Qualifications will be played in Celano, Italy 24th—27th May. Czech Republic, Spain, Slovenia and Italy are playing in Group E with Germany, Slovakia, Austria and Côte d’Ivoire in Group D. The top 3 teams will qualify directly to the World Floorball Championships 2022 taking place this November in Switzerland.
Below is a preview of every team and their most important players provided by each Federation, with an insight into how things have been in their countries during the pandemic.
Group E
Czech Republic
What were the main developments steps in Floorball over the last few years? What major progress were you able to achieve?
First of all, it shows how much progress has been made in working with young people. Apart from the fact that the youth base is growing, the most important point is that the training of young floorball players is supervised by trained coaches, mostly former players with a lot of experience. This progress can also be seen on the international level – two titles from U19 WFC, a bronze medal from WFC, title in the last EFT and two victories against Sweden in a row. The ever-improving organization of leagues and youth tournaments also helps to effectively educate our young players, and the motivation to play floorball continues to grow thanks to the above-mentioned achievements and medals.
What should we expect from your team during WFCQ 2022?
Young dynamic team with great potential on international level. Lot of players with unique skills in offensive game.
Players to watch
Most dangerous attacker:
Young center who can score himself or provide empty net opportunities to his teammates. He has a good shot, strong movement and ability to lead the team on the court.
Strongest defender:
Compact and modern defender who is very sure with the ball and can play hard and fair defence on the own side. He also has a potential to score and be productive in the offence.
Toughest player:
Brisk and athletic player with high technical skills.
Face-off champion:
Spain
What were the main developments steps in Floorball over the last few years? What major progress were you able to achieve?
During the pandemic, we kept playing using face masks for all our activities. With this decision we survived in this complicate moments. We are trying to recover all the players and teams from before COVID. The world championship could be a major point in our development.
What should we expect from your team during WFCQ 2022?
We were close to qualifying at the last tournament and the team is ready to play and win a spot in the final round.
Players to watch
Most dangerous attacker:
He always reads the game well and presses the other players until he scores.
Strongest defender:
After his debut in the last qualification he had improve a lot. He give a lot of security to the team.
Toughest player:
He is back with the team after an injury. He fights strongly and for all the balls.
Face-off champion:
He pushes the whole team in order to win matches.
Slovenia
What were the main developments steps in Floorball over the last few years? What major progress were you able to achieve?
The recent COVID crisis has hampered the development of Slovenian floorball. Above all, we regret that the younger generations did not train for almost a year due to the closure of the halls. In the autumn, the sports halls reopened and now we are trying to make up for the delay and we are trying to inspire young people to play floorball again.
What should we expect from your team during WFCQ 2022?
Slovenia National team is a mix of a few experienced players and a group of young players.
Our aim is to achieve third place in the qualification group and qualify for WFC 2022.
Players to watch
Most dangerous attacker:
He has a unique technique and he is very unpredictable.
Strongest defender:
He is extremely strong and hard by nature. His excellent defensive technique and intelligence make it impossible for the opponent to succeed.
Toughest player:
He has strong physique, intelligence, fighting and team spirit who helps to push and carry the entire team.
Face-off champion:
He has a lot of that kind experiences from Czech floorball.
Italy
What were the main developments steps in Floorball over the last few years? What major progress were you able to achieve?
COVID was a big obstacle for floorball in Italy, especially among youth teams. For the Senior players one problem has been the reduced number of matches in the championship. The National team has anyway managed to do training camps and also play some friendly international matches under the guidance of the new staff.
What should we expect from your team during WFCQ 2022?
It’s a team formed by young players with an addition of some new players. The team is still looking to find a clear identity although the overall quality is improving. For Italy this qualification is an amazing opportunity to check where it stands compared to better teams.
Players to watch
Most dangerous attacker:
Arguably the most dangerous forward of the team. Thanks to his physical skills is very difficult to guard and his killer instinct makes him a serious scorer.
Strongest defender:
At the moment is probably the strongest defender, based on his physicality, his floorball IQ and the experience he got all those years playing in NLA in Switzerland
Toughest player:
A really tough opponent for any attacker coming his way, for his ability to read the 1 vs 1 situation and act accordingly.
Face-off champion:
The best face off winner of team Italy
GROUP F
Germany
What were the main developments steps in Floorball over the last few years? What major progress were you able to achieve?
The Corona situation was really challenging for us. The Bundesliga couldn’t get finished for two years. In the same time there has been big changes in the national team with new players and new coaches. During WFC 2020 we could start an interesting process in developing a new playing style. Although the final standing wasn’t what we wanted, it was possible to see that we took the first steps.
What should we expect from your team during WFCQ 2022?
The team consists of a core of players from WFC 2020. We started a new development there and want to continue that journey at the WFCQ in Italy and hopefully also at the WFC in Switzerland.
To qualify for the WFC is our clear goal.
Players to watch
Most dangerous attacker:
Florian Weißkirchen
He has good instincts as a attacker and need really less space to be dangerous.
Strongest defender:
Tino von Pritzbuer
Good defender in both direction. He can introduce game openings and assist scoring chances but plays in defense also with a high intensity.
Toughest player:
Svenson Hoppe
Defender who is combining physical play with great technical skills.
Face-off champion:
Slovakia
What were the main developments steps in Floorball over the last few years? What major progress were you able to achieve?
It affected us especially at the beginning of the summer 2021 when we could not all meet together due to the second covid wave. This was due to government regulations that did not allow for a no-quarantine return. On the other hand, each player prepared well individually or in clubs and later during the summer 2021, we finally met after long time at a national event all together.
What should we expect from your team during WFCQ 2022?
I would describe us as young gunners who are motivated to successfully rewrite the history of Slovak floorball, but in the first place they enjoyed every match and played as one team. We will go step by step, match by match to qualify to WFC.
Players to watch
Most dangerous attacker:
In short, he is like Lionel Messi but in Floorball.
Strongest defender:
With huge individual skills he helps also as the fourth forward, not only as a defender.
Toughest player:
I think that the other players don’t want to tackle with him in the corners.
Face-off champion:
What can he not do?
Austria
What were the main developments steps in Floorball over the last few years? What major progress were you able to achieve?
To improve the tactics to a modern system like the “M-system”, which we are on the way to achieving. Physical play could be improved and is still a work in progress. Because of Covid 19 the development stopped abruptly.
What should we expect from your team during WFCQ 2022?
Our aim is to qualify for WFC 2022. We will do everything to achieve the aim. We know that it will be hard, maybe also too hard, to reach it, but we will try.
Players to watch
Most dangerous attacker:
Joel Königshofer
He is a true scorer, who is playing at FB Thurgau, from now on NLA in Switzerland. He is extremely aggressive and has a very good shot from the left side.
Strongest defender:
He is the best defensive defender in Austria. He is known less for his attack than his defense.
Toughest player:
Has enormous fighting spirit, better than any other of the team.
Face-off champion:
He wins the most face-offs in the Austrian league.
Cote D´Ivoire
What were the main developments steps in Floorball over the last few years? What major progress were you able to achieve?
Establishing floorball in several regions across the country and trying to grow the sport as much as possible.
What should we expect from your team during WFCQ 2022?
A young, dynamic and combative team, which never gives up, hopes to be the first African team to qualify for the WFCQ 2022
Players to watch
Most dangerous attacker:
Very dynamic and skillful forward
Strongest defender:
A strong, tough defender who leads the defensive group very well.
Toughest player:
The goalkeeper who always defends the goal with might and doesn’t let any attackers get near him or his goal.
Face-off champion:
Has been working and training hard on all aspects of his game including faceoffs.
- The information here is provided by the teams and modified by the IFF.
More information about the WFCQ 2022 EUR3 here.
