Baumgart: “We want a clear, proactive approach”

Hamburger SV and those associated with the club have experienced an eventful and highly emotional week in light of the CAS ruling against Mario Vuskovic, announced on Tuesday afternoon (27th August). This was also evident at the start of today’s press conference ahead of the upcoming home game against SC Preußen Münster, when head coach Steffen Baumgart took the opportunity to make an opening statement regarding the Croatian defender’s situation. Like the HSV board members did in an HSV.de interview posted shortly beforehand, the 52-year-old made it clear that Mario was, is and will remain part of the HSV family. He then went on to discuss the footballing matters in hand, in particular the upcoming match against the Eagles on Saturday (kick-off 13:00 CEST). Steffen Baumgart spoke in detail at the press conference about...

…the verdict against Mario Vuskovic: It’s tricky to find the right words. The ruling has really affected us, especially the guys who have worked with Mario for a long time. After keeping our fingers crossed for a long time, and with a lot of emotion surrounding the case, there was significant hope that there would be a different outcome. It’s clear what impact this verdict has had on everyone. I have been able to get to know him as a person and am impressed by the way he has dealt and is dealing with the situation. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for him. Mario is part of the family. And family stands together in situations like this.

…squad updates: Bakery Jatta is still injured and working on rehabilitation. Jean-Luc Dompe, Daniel Elfadli and Matheo Raab are all back in training. Dompe will be brought back into the team in the next few days. Raab will definitely be back to full intensity in the coming week and we are just monitoring Elfadli from day to day. He is clearly showing that he wants to be here, but we will weigh it up as a larger group and decide on the best option for us.

“We know how dangerous this opponent can be”

…the opponent: Preußen Münster are a dangerous team to play against. If you look at the three previous games, the timing and nature of the goals conceded as well as their own clear-cut chances, then we have a lot heading our way. We don’t need to mention what our aim has to be. We have a sold-out ground and want to go into the game with a clear, proactive approach, in order to win at all costs. At the same time, we know how dangerous our opponents can be. Their coach Sascha Hildmann has managed to build a real structure within the team, achieving promotion twice in a row, while knowing how to play good football.   

…new arrival Marco Richter: He’s in really good shape with a full pre-season under his belt. He is just lacking some match practice from recent weeks, so we should be able to integrate him quickly. But since he’s a new signing, he will have to work to oust the guys ahead of him. It’s difficult to make decisions regarding the line-up. His experience speaks in his favour – he can control a game, is always willing to run, and has great physicality. We want this higher level of aggression and expect a lot from him in that respect.