The HSV has opened the door to the Bundesliga in the 4-0 win at Darmstadt 98. The convincing Hamburg performance at the home strong Hessen was surprising after previously weak appearances. And the self -confident appearance testified that the HSV has what has been missing in recent years: greed and mental stability in recent years.
At just 34, Merlin Polzzin can naturally be very well put into his mostly not much younger protégés. And so the Hamburg coach wanted to give his players some time after the past few weeks very exciting for the psyche and the exemption in Darmstadt, which has now been made to come to other thoughts.
“I asked the boys if they wanted to free two days. But they said no. They want to train normally tomorrow and process the whole thing about today,” revealed Polzzin in the NDR interview. Not without pride, the Hamburg -born added: “And that’s exactly the mindset we have developed over the months.”
In fact, coach number seven in the second division history of the traditional club seems to have succeeded in what all its predecessors failed: he shaped a team that can defy resistances.
HSV has learned to defy resistances
The magic word at HSV under Polzin is called resilience. The young football teacher is far from that this new strength of the former Bundesliga and current second division “dinos” only attributed to his intervention. The whole club works very closely together, the 34-year-old said. “We all try to get better every day. And that’s why I am convinced that we can end up with the big step in the end.”
The promotion is said. He has never been so close for the Hanseatic League in the past seven second division years. Before the last two match days, you have four points ahead of relegation plants three, which SV Elversberg currently occupies. In addition, there is far the best goal difference compared to all persecutors. On the coming Saturday (8.30 p.m., in the Livecenter at NDR.de) against the penultimate SSV 1846 Ulm, the new league leader – the previous leader 1. FC Köln failed in 1-1 against relegated Jahn Regensburg – perfect.
A fact that almost a bit suspect is after weeks in which the HSV had once again fallen into old behavior patterns and due to weak appearances and bankruptcy against Eintracht Braunschweig and Karlsruher SC had a renewed doubt about its ability to rise. Also among the players themselves, as sports director Stefan Kuntz sounded through after the victory in Darmstadt.
Sports director Kuntz as a psychiatrist and motivator
“One or the other certainly had to go over a fairly steep mountain,” said the former top striker and thus spoke to the mental constitution of some actors before the duel with the “lilies”. In the days after the anxious home presentation against the KSC, Kuntz had made a mistake as a psychiatrist and led many individual talks with the sometimes very unsettled players. Successfully.
“I know all the fears and fears that they have in my head. I have failed incredibly often. Then you just talk about what opportunities to go about this way. We have managed to do this now,” said the European champion from 1996. However, the HSV boss tried to step on the euphoria brake: “But it is still a little bit until the summit.”
Selke: “Stefan’s experience is good for us”
The successor to Jonas Boldt will probably also have one or two conversation with the players in the coming days and make sure that the senses of the Polzin protégés remain sharpened. The coach (“We do everything together”) and the team expressly welcome that Kuntz in the “crunchtime” has moved even closer to the team.
“The experience of Stefan is good for us. He found the right words,” praised striker Davie Selke the man with whom he was currently having to be extended for a contract extension. But not only Kuntz has a large part in the turn in Darmstadt, according to the attacker: “The coaching team also hired us outstandingly and found the right words after the Karlsruhe game.”
HSV is not yet planning a promotion ceremony
Against Ulm, the HSV can now make the Bundesliga return perfect with some delay. A party is not yet planned in the event of an event, Kuntz assured. “We have to finish it first,” warned the sports director: “And if there is something to celebrate, you can do it out of the rifle.” In the Volkspark, after six failed ascents in a row with many background noises and even more nationwide mockery, there is humility.
Topping number seven can still go wrong. The excellent starting point and the reaction shown in Darmstadt after the mini crisis suggest that Selke’s self-confident forecast for the ULM game becomes a reality: “The final step will take.”
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Sports club | 04.05.2025 | 10:50 p.m.
