Training camp

Day 1 at the training camp: “A good start”

The start of a training camp is always special. How will you settle into the team’s lodgings? How will you start the first sessions? And what kind of team spirit will develop? On the first day of their training camp, HSV passed all of these tests.

Time has passed, even flown by. Our first day at the training camp in Turkey went extremely fast because the schedule was so packed. After HSV arrived in Belek on Friday evening and spent their first night in the team lodgings, Saturday saw the first real training session take place. This was completed on the pitch after the first video session and warm-up, and was already full of intensity. Head coach Merlin Polzin then gave his players a few hours off.

“The lads will enjoy being able to relax a bit this afternoon,” said Polzin after the first training session of the day, as he answered questions from the media before going for lunch with the team. In the afternoon, it was time for the second training session, and the team impressed their coach with their desire to win. “We want to show that every game,” Polzin said to the media. “We have to want to win every training match.”

The winning team did wildly celebrate their victory in the next training match (see photo, top), which again pleased the coach. He had already been delighted to welcome forward Robert Glatzel onto the training pitch. Glatzel travelled to Turkey despite his injury, so that he could be close to the team and complete individual sessions with rehab coach, Sebastian Capel (see photo, right).

“It makes me really happy to have Bobby back with us and to see him in HSV colours,” said Polzin, even if it will of course still be a number of weeks before ‘Bobby’ Glatzel returns to full team training. “The most important thing is that Bobby is back with us,” added Polzin, who was pleased with Glatzel’s first few runs and light exercises with the ball. And so, the first full day in Belek came to an end with lots of momentum and a good team spirit. Polzin called it “a good start”, and his team will give everything again on Sunday. Two more training sessions are scheduled for Day 2 of the training camp. According to the weather forecast, this will even be played in the sunshine rather than the rain.