In January 2010, HSV wanted to make a big attack in the race for the German championship. An absolute world star moved from Real Madrid to the Elbe.
This news electrified an entire metropolis of millions: In January 2010, HSV signed Ruud van Nistelrooy, the great star striker from Real Madrid and Manchester United. On January 23rd, the people of Hamburg confirmed the coup: They didn’t have to transfer a cent of transfer money to the Spanish capital.
The fact that “Van the Man” had only recently made his comeback after a ten-month injury break was seen at Volkspark as an opportunity and not a risk. The knee, which had been damaged several times, was considered to have recovered. The then 33-year-old Dutchman always had an exceptional goal-scoring instinct. He was the first footballer to become the top goalscorer in three of Europe’s top leagues – in his home country, in England and in Spain. Exactly what HSV had wanted as reinforcement for the title fight in the Bundesliga: They overwintered in fourth place, four points behind autumn champions Bayer Leverkusen.
The fuss surrounding Ruud van Nistelrooy was huge: around 200 journalists attended the introduction of the new celebrity. The jersey with the number 22 quickly became an absolute bestseller. The former “Royal” Ruud van Nistelrooy was suddenly something like the King of Hamburg.
Only one big HSV player remained skeptical: “He’s not the youngest anymore, hasn’t played for a long time. I don’t know how fit he is,” said Uwe Seeler. In fact, the HSV fans had to wait weeks for van Nistelrooy’s debut – a torn muscle fiber was to blame.
On February 13, 2010, “Van the Man” made his first impression in the HSV jersey and needed just a few minutes to score a brace to secure the 3-1 win in Stuttgart. The hope of a top signing was huge. But a few days later, muscle stiffness stopped the Dutchman again.
In his first six months, Ruud van Nistelrooy reached the semi-finals of the Europa League with HSV. But the final in their own stadium was considered a dream goal, which further increased the expectations of the striker. In the Bundesliga, Hamburg also missed out on qualifying for the European Cup again. The initial euphoria soon gave way to disillusionment.
In the second season, HSV slipped into mediocrity, while the former top striker van Nistelrooy suffered from severe jamming in front of the goal. In January 2011, the short love had finally grown cold: “Van the Man” really wanted to go back to Real Madrid, but HSV wouldn’t let him go. He would then score two more goals for Hamburg. There was no longer much hype about his departure on the Elbe the following summer.
15 years after the spectacular change, HSV is stuck in the 2nd Bundesliga. When the club was once again looking for a new coach in late autumn 2024, the name Ruud van Nistelrooy was also mentioned – the former global star is now a successful coach. It was just a rumor, and yet there was great excitement. The idea that “Van the Man” could join HSV again brought back memories for many fans of that hopeful day in January 2010 – and of all the dreams that came with him back then.