The next era of renovation begins at HSV Hamburg. Three new bosses, several squad changes and numerous new roles make it difficult to assess the team heading into the new season. However, one thing remains the same: HSV wants to climb out of the bottom of Opel’s table as quickly as possible. Handball– The Bundesliga says goodbye. Those in charge explained this at the season opening in Volkspark.
From the very beginning, the club surprised everyone with its sixth newcomer for the upcoming season. Alem Hadžić (19/Europharm Pelister) should initially be introduced at Bundesliga level through the second team. The Bosnian playmaker was already on the pitch with his new colleagues during the first training session. Azat Valiullin (35) will also initially remain part of the training group. HSV wants to wait until the end of August to see how Dominik Axmann (27) develops after a knee injury.
Coach Thorsten Jansen (49) knows his team will once again face a difficult period of discovery. Returning from vacation, the coach explained: “As in previous years, another shock awaits us. This will again be a new start.”
Hamburg have a lot of work to do, especially in central defense. The new indoor unit should work quickly. WITH Jan Schmidt (21/Dormagen), Martin Hovde (24/Kolstad), Einar Olafsson (24) and Elias Kofler (25), several new or young players are tasked with providing stability in defense. At the same time, it is necessary to compensate for the departure of Jakob Lassen (30) and Kasper Ulrich Mortensen (36). Noah Beyer (29/BHC) will replace Mortensen, while Norwegian Nikolaj Dahling (24/Bergen) and Oliver Norlik (26) will pose a threat on the right flank in the future.
Coach Thorsten Jansen (49/4 right) with his new coaches (from left to right): Norwin Payne (U23), Alem Hadzic, Martin Hovde, Noah Beyer, Nikolaj Dahling, Jan Schmidt, Leon Novotny
Despite the changes, nothing changes in the purpose of the season. Jansen sets expectations clearly: “We want to stay away from the bottom and see what goes up.”
Johannes Bitter (43), sporting director, also considers team development a decisive factor: “We want to grow together as a team and become stronger as a group.” And: “We want to inspire our fans.”
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There is a special story connected with the new goalkeeper Leon Novotny (20 years old). The Hamburg native returns to his hometown after a few years and comes from THW Kiel. He replaces Mohamed El-Tayar (30 years old), who is moving to TVB Stuttgart. Nowotny is looking forward to returning: “For me, returning to Hamburg is like a vacation.” And further: “I really like this project.”
The new management trio of HSV Hamburg (from left to right): President Niklas Weller (33 years old) with two managing directors Markus Reeck (58 years old) and Johannes “Jogi” Bitter (43 years old).
The structure within the squad is also changing. After many years of strong Danish influence, HSV will increasingly rely on Norwegian players in the future. In addition to goalkeeper Robin Haug (27), the Norwegian group includes newcomers Nikolaj Dahling and Martin Hovde. For Haug, mixing nationalities is not a problem. It is not the origin that is important, but rather the integration: “This will not change anything in the team. It will be important that Nikolai and Martin quickly learn German.”
HSV Hamburg starts the season again with a team full of new building blocks. “I’m positively tense,” Jansen explained in an interview with SPORT BILD. He was impressed by his team after meeting with the media. When he finished the first training session at 4:30 p.m., he sent the soldiers to the locker room with the sign “Good first training session.” Nice: Dominik Axmannwho got married in June, played all the sessions without any problems and also scored in the final game.