The HSV game in Berlin last Saturday was interrupted for almost 30 minutes. New protests against Hannover 96 are expected on Friday evening.
The top game of the second league is scheduled for Friday (6:30 p.m.) in Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion: second-placed HSV welcomes sixth-placed Hannover 96 for a duel between promotion aspirants. As on previous weekends, fan protests against the DFL’s decision to look for an investor are likely to become an issue. In the away game in Berlin, HSV coach Tim Walter had to keep his team in line during a 30-minute break.
“I understand that people give vent to their displeasure and make the whole thing known,” said Walter at the press conference on Wednesday. Basically, it is not his construction site, but that of HSV sports director Jonas Boldt. “It’s important to me that my players are in focus, that they concentrate on not getting injured,” said Tim Walter. “I’ll take care of my boys.”
HSV coach Tim Walter understands fan protests
Walter expected that there would be further protests – perhaps as early as Friday evening. But that doesn’t change anything about the preparation for a game or the processes on a match day: “In sport there are things that you can’t predict. It’s about keeping the boys physically at the same level. We also have that in the Olympic Stadium made in the catacombs.”
The athletics department plays an important role in this. “I don’t hope that there will be long downtimes, because then injury prevention will no longer be possible,” explained Tim Walter.
It was already heard from the ranks of Hanover fans that there would be further activities. “Our protest is only effective when it is uncomfortable,” said a 96-Ultra to “HAZ.” “So we have to adapt our protest week by week. We still have a lot of potential for improvement.” Last weekend, the 96 scene would have accepted that the game against Hansa Rostock would be canceled.