An overview of HSV’s pre-season schedule

HSV began preparations for the upcoming season today. Twenty-three days have passed since the team’s final match of 2020/21 against Eintracht Braunschweig (4-0 win). A lot has happened in those 23 days. 

Who’s new to the team? 

The Rothosen have a new head coach in Tim Walter. At his side are Filip Tapalovic and Julian Hüber, who have joined the team as the new assistant coaches. Sven Höh has been appointed as HSV’s goalkeeping coach. 

HSV have announced three summer signings already, with Sebastian Schonlau, Jonas Meffert and Miro Muheim joining the club. Maximilian Rohr (25), who joined HSV from Carl-Zeiss Jena last season and has been playing for the reserves so far, as well as Anssi Suhonen, who has recovered from a cruciate ligament tear he suffered last year, have also joined the first team. Aaron Opoku (loan to Jahn Regensburg) and Xavier Amaechi (loan to Karlsruhe) have also returned to HSV. 

Who has left the team? 

Aaron Hunt, Sven Ulreich, Rick van Drongelen, Gideon Jung, Simon Terodde and Moritz-Broni Kwarteng have all left the club. Following the conclusion of his loan spell at Cercle Brügge, David Bates will not be returning to Hamburg and has been given time to pursue new opportunities. 

Josha Vagnoman has also been given a few extra days off after having taken part in the U21 EUROs with Germany earlier this month. 

When does pre-season start? 

The team returned to the Volksparkstadion for the first time on Wednesday, 16th June. After a round of Covid-19 tests in the morning, they will undergo various medical and performance tests today and tomorrow. The team will be separated into groups and undergo cardiac and kidney tests at the UKE Athleticum and the training rooms at the campus. These tests will help the team to determine the players’ fitness levels and to develop training plans, as well as being mandated by the DFL. 

When will the team return to the pitch? 

The first pre-season training session will take place on Friday, 18th June at the Volksparkstadion. Unfortunately, fans will not be permitted to attend this session, and it will take place behind closed doors. The entire session will be livestreamed on HSVtv and the club’s YouTube channel, starting at 13:00 CEST. 

What does the pre-season schedule look like? 

On Friday, head coach Tim Walter will welcome his team back to the training ground. The first pre-season friendly will take place a week later against VSG Altglienicke on 25th June. Unfortunately, this match will also have to take place behind closed doors. From 29th June to 7th July, the Rothosen will take part in a training camp in Grassau. During this time, the team will face Wacker Innsbruck in a friendly on 1st July before a friendly against FC Augsburg in Heimstetten on 7th July. The 2021/22 Bundesliga 2 season will begin the weekend of 23rd-25th July. The DFL is expected to announce the first round of fixtures on 25th June.