No breakthrough in Hamburg
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SC Verl has secured the services of a 2023 U17 world champion. As the third division club announced on Thursday, Bilal Yalcinkaya has been signed by Hamburger SV for the coming season. The 20-year-old can be used flexibly in the offensive and can play both in the wing positions and in the ten.
Yalcinkaya was part of the German youth team that secured the U17 World Cup title in November 2023. He played every game from the round of 16 onwards and recorded one goal and one assist. However, he did not make a breakthrough at HSV, where he was long considered one of the most promising talents on campus. It wasn’t enough to make his debut with the professionals, but the homegrown player played 45 times for the second team, among other things. He missed a long time last season due to a broken foot. Now the 20-year-old is taking the step away from HSV and into the 3rd league.
“Bilal is a guy in the street footballer category. He is incredibly good at one-on-one, can break up situations in tight spaces excellently and passes his opponents at high speed. He is always a goal threat in the final third, but can also make the decisive pass. His potential is immense and we would like to tickle that out in the coming season,” said sports director Zlatko Janjic about the fourth newcomer.
HSV sports director Claus Costa explained: “Bilal has a special talent and has continuously developed over many years in our youth team. He was already close to taking the next step towards professional football, but was set back by his injury, especially in the last season. The move to Verl offers him the opportunity to establish himself sustainably in the professional field and to gain valuable playing experience at a high level. We wish him only the best for his future career, both in terms of sport and personally.”
