The celebration is not without reason in Cologne. Seven team members of the 30-strong squad are from KHTC Rot Weiss eV The Cologne club is one of the heavyweights in the Hockey Bundesliga. World champions and Olympic champions grew up here. A red carpet will be laid out for the team tonight. The club has proven often enough that it can also organize larger parties.

The success of the big spurs on the small club members. When we talk to some six-year-olds on the training ground today, they also wish to become world champions one day. Like their role models. It doesn’t go below that anymore. Behind the successful top players there is also a lot of support from the parents.

Nothing happens in ice hockey without parents

Club manager Robert Haake says in the WDR interview: “So the biggest sponsors for hockey players are the parents and not the club at all. The parents pay almost everything. And the club supports them with small things, but they can’t make a living from it. All the players are studying or working or are still there at school.”

Former national player Philip Zeller revealed to WDR today what it feels like to become world champion: “You want to embrace the whole world. You would embrace every stone on the pitch if there were any. You’re just overjoyed that all the passion and all the work you put into it really paid off.“It’s similar with Timo Wess, Jan Marco Montag and Tibor Weißenborn. Together they became world champions in 2006 and are now celebrating the newly crowned new champions.

The national team is expected at the Cologne club grounds from 9 p.m. Anyone who wants to can celebrate the newly crowned hockey world champion with Rot-Weiss tonight.