The public dispute between PR Sreejesh and Hockey India is still playing out. Sreejesh has questioned why Hockey India passed him over despite four podium finishes from five events as junior men’s coach. Hockey India denied firing him, saying his contract ended in December 2025 and Hockey India selected a replacement on merit. In the middle of that back and forth, Hockey India has announced who that replacement is. Frenchman Frederic Soyez will take charge of the Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team.
Read More: The Sreejesh-Hockey India Dispute Is About More Than Just One Coaching Job
Who Is Frederic Soyez?
Frederic Soyez is one of the most decorated players in French hockey history. He represented France from 1995 to 2009, earning 196 caps and scoring 195 goals, both national records. At the 2003 Indoor World Cup in Leipzig, FIH named him top scorer and best player as France finished third.
He retired from playing in 2009 and moved into coaching, first at Lille MHC and then as France senior men’s coach from 2011. Spain came next in 2014. He guided them to fifth place at Rio 2016, a quarter-final at Tokyo 2020, and a silver medal at the 2019 European Championships. During his time with Spain, he also served as HPD for the Spanish federation. In 2021, he returned to France as both head coach and High Performance Director, leading them at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Welcoming the appointment, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey said: “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. 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.”
Frederic Soyez Junior World Cup Record
France have qualified for seven of the fourteen FIH Junior Men’s World Cups. Three of those appearances produced medals, and all three came under Soyez in some capacity. The 2013 Junior World Cup in New Delhi was his first assignment as a junior coach. France came in as a surprise package and finished second, their first ever Junior World Cup medal. When he later served as HPD of the French federation, the junior team finished third in 2021 and second in 2023.
France are not a traditional junior hockey powerhouse. That record across three tournaments, spanning twelve years, is not coincidence. There is an interesting footnote to 2013 as well. It was the first Junior World Cup hosted by India, and the first time India had a foreign coach in the junior dugout. Gregg Clark took charge of the Indian side that tournament. India finished tenth.
Paris 2024 and What Followed
Soyez’s tenure with France ended in October 2024, two and a half months after the Paris Olympics. France drew against Spain but lost to Germany, the Netherlands, England, and South Africa. They finished with one point from five pool matches. The target was seven points minimum to reach the quarter-finals. France’s National Sport Agency organised a debrief that revealed a climate of mistrust between the coaching staff and players. Senior players criticised the staff during the process. The French federation removed Soyez shortly after. He remained at the federation’s technical directorate in an advisory role.
What He Brings
Soyez is known for his penalty corner expertise. His coaching philosophy goes beyond set pieces. After Spain’s fifth place finish at Rio 2016, he spoke about the role of communication and behaviour in building a competitive team. “The work on behaviours performed upstream allowed us to go to the Olympic Games and get the results we had,” he said. “They are, for me, as important as physical preparation.” He added that his players “really grew during the competition, in the way of communicating, of behaving.”
That emphasis on communication is relevant in the Indian context. Craig Fulton’s senior men’s team runs on clear roles, player trust, and collective decision making under pressure. If Soyez can build those same habits at junior level, players moving into Fulton’s setup would arrive with the foundations already in place.
The Mandate
Hockey India has framed the appointment around the 2036 Olympics. The federation wants a coaching structure that runs seamlessly from sub-junior through junior to senior level. Indian coaches will work alongside international experts at every camp. Soyez served as HPD at the French federation from 2021 to 2024. He has built exactly that kind of structure before.
Soyez’s first assignment will be the Junior Asia Cup 2026 in Moqi, China. Dates are yet to be confirmed.
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