Nobody at Hamburger SV really wants to believe in the football miracle against VfB Stuttgart and promotion to the Bundesliga. Nobody wants to say that. Especially not coach Tim Walter.
Tim Walter has little choice. The Hamburger SV coach must exude confidence, somehow keep hope alive before the relegation second leg against VfB Stuttgart.
The 0:3 mortgage from the first leg actually weighs too heavily on HSV, after five years against the Bundesliga-16. to make the return to the football upper house. And yet Walter said on Sunday: “The boys have already suffered a few setbacks. And we always got up. We have comeback qualities.”
Is that enough for a miracle? Unlikely after Thursday’s performance in Stuttgart. Is that enough to at least end the project ascent 2023 with dignity – albeit unsuccessfully? Rather. “It’s only possible that we have a chance as a team if everyone can deliver 100 percent,” said Walter. That was not the case on Thursday. “We have to try to do better on Monday.”
Hoeneß expects resistance in the Volksparkstadion
According to VfB trainer Sebastian Hoeneß, it is unlikely that Stuttgart will do HSV a favor and gamble away everything in a fit of arrogance. “There hasn’t been any pressure released from the team as games haven’t been won at half-time,” he said. “We got a good starting position, that was our goal.”
However, the coach, who took over the Stuttgart team in April as the bottom of the table, expects fierce resistance. In his opinion, the audience in Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion can become a factor. Once again the arena is sold out with 57,000 spectators.
“I haven’t been there as a coach, but I’ve seen it before as a neutral spectator,” said the 41-year-old. “It’s a nice stadium, there are great fans. Similar to ours, this will be another game in which the HSV fans in particular, who will be in the stadium in large numbers, will do everything to push their team forward.”
HSV in front of an open future
His team needs to prepare for that. “It helps to know these scenes, but that’s definitely not the 2nd Bundesliga, which is what we’re going to get in terms of atmosphere in Hamburg,” said Hoeneß.
Second division football in front of a first division backdrop – this is HSV’s perspective in 2023/24 if the miracle doesn’t happen. “We are now a normal second division team,” admitted Walter. If you take Thursday’s performance as a benchmark, the team has no place in the Bundesliga.
So it’s more exciting to see what happens after the definitive final game of the season. Will HSV tackle the sixth edition of the promotion project in the constellation with coach Walter and sports director Jonas Boldt? Will there be new millions from shareholders Klaus-Michael Kühne? Which players stay, which (have to) go?
Ludovit Reis is considered a farewell candidate who, according to the media, would bring in money of around seven million euros. Goal scorer Robert Glatzel (19 goals this season) is also said to be in demand. Midfielder Sonny Kittel will probably leave the club on the third try. No wonder, no dignity – the stoppage time at HSV promises a lot.
Source: Stern
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