New Delhi: A day after PR Sreejesh lambasted Hockey India (HI) for not renewing his contract, the national sports federation (NSF) appointed his successor, naming Frenchman Frederic Soyez as the new chief coach of the Indian junior men’s team on Thursday.
HT had reported on Wednesday that Soyez would be replacing Sreejesh, whose contract had expired in December 2025.
Soyez brings three decades of elite hockey experience, including 15 years as a France international and 15 years as a coach. The 48-year-old played for France from 1995 to 2010, earning 196 international caps and scoring 195 goals before becoming a coach.
A proven developer of young talent, Soyez coached France to a silver at the 2013 Junior World Cup before being appointed head coach of Spain whom he guided at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics, helping the European team reach the quarter-finals. He also guided them to silver at the 2019 European Championships.
He returned to France as head coach, helping them qualify for the 2024 Paris Games — the first time they qualified for the Olympics since Munich 1972. He also helped France U-18 to a silver at the 2025 European Championships. Soyez additionally served as the high-performance director of the French hockey federation from 2021 to 2024, overseeing the country’s broader high-performance and athlete development structure.
His coaching resume also includes participation in two World Cups (2018 and 2023) and six European Championships (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023), underlining his extensive experience at the elite level. At the domestic level, Soyez guided Lille MHC to French Indoor and Outdoor Championship titles in 2012 along with EuroHockey Trophy Indoor and Outdoor titles in the same year.
Widely regarded for his expertise in high-performance systems, athlete development, and penalty corner strategy, Soyez has consistently built teams with strong tactical structure and competitive consistency across all levels.
“We warmly welcome Frederic Soyez to the Hockey India family. Frederic comes with outstanding international credentials, having coached at multiple Olympic Games, World Cups, and European Championships, while also successfully developing young talent and high-performance systems,” HI president Dilip Tirkey said.
“We believe his experience and skill set will greatly benefit Indian hockey as we continue to work towards a bigger long-term vision for the 2036 Olympics. Our focus is not only on immediate results but also on building a deep talent pool and a coaching structure that remains aligned from sub-junior to senior level.
“By integrating Indian coaches alongside international experts in every national camp across all levels, we are ensuring continuity in coaching philosophy, player development, and tactical understanding. This collaborative approach will also play a vital role in strengthening the capabilities of Indian coaches and creating a more self-sustaining high-performance ecosystem for the future.”
