Merlin Polzin was downright euphoric with one player when the Hamburger SV coach was asked about the many new faces in the squad. However, the arrival was an old acquaintance: young player Otto Stange, who was recently loaned out to SV Elversberg and has now been brought back early.
“Especially with Otto, it is known that he not only wears the diamond on his chest, but also really in his heart. So it’s a joy to see the boy, again in our clothes,” said Polzin about the new old HSV professional. The 18-year-old was part of the promotion squad last season.
Many of that squad can no longer be found wearing the jersey of the Bundesliga club today. The winter transfer window is usually considered complicated. But HSV went on a shopping spree in the mission to stay in the league. The sporting leadership around sports director Claus Coasta recorded a total of 13 squad movements.
The Hanseatic League borrowed, among others, the former Cologne player Damion Downs, the Danish international Albert Grönbaek and the Nigerian Philip Otele for the offensive. Players from the promotion squad such as Jonas Meffert, Emir Sahiti (loan), Immanuel Pherai (loan) and Silvan Hefti left the club.
Personnel problems on the left offensive side
For the next task at the weekend at 1. FC Heidenheim on Saturday (3:30 p.m./Sky), coach Polzin can theoretically rely on all of the players who were brought in over the winter. All reinforcements arrived in the Hanseatic city very energetic, the coach reported. The new additions Otele and Grönbaek could start on the left offensive side.
The left side is currently HSV’s problem area. Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit, who has been injured for a long time and is currently spending the first part of his rehab in Norway, will be missing from the Heidenheim game. Fabio Baldé, who was recently injured, is still training individually. And Jean-Luc Dompé was allowed to train again this week after his suspension as a result of the drunk driving, but remains excluded from the club for the upcoming game because of the incident. Defender Nicolas Capaldo, who played well in the 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich, is also missing due to his yellow card suspension.
In recent years, Polzin has been an assistant in the 2nd league, but also this season in the first league win against Heidenheim (2:1) and away in the second round of the DFB Cup (1:0). Accordingly, he is warned. Six points separate the 13th place in the table. HSV from the last one.
“I expect the Heidenheimers to be the same as I know Frank’s team. That is, maximally aggressive, with a lot of man-orientation, with a lot of toughness, even in duels, in an absolutely positive way,” said Polzin and praised the long-time Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt as an “absolute legend”.
Polzin wants to prevent a drop in tension after the strong performance against league leaders FC Bayern Munich at all costs. It had already been discussed in the coaching team that after good games against Dortmund, Stuttgart and Bremen, there were subsequent games in which the team showed less performance, “for what we want to stand for”. Polzin spoke of a “character game” in the southwest.
