Press conference

"First and foremost, it’s a mental game”

In his first press conference as head coach of Hamburger SV, Horst Hrubesch spoke about his first days in charge, his impressions of the team and his approach to the final three matchdays.

Everyone knows what’s at stake. HSV need to take at least nine points from their remaining three games in order to have a fighting chance in the promotion race. Even then, the club’s fate is not entirely in their own hands. Horst Hrubesch addressed this point during his first press conference as head coach of HSV ahead of Monday’s match at home against 1. FC Nürnberg (20:00 CEST). “It doesn’t make any sense to lose games. That’s why we will do everything we can to pick up the points we need and to then see how far that takes us,” he said. Hrubesch’s first week in charge was focused on getting the team into the right headspace, while also forming his own impressions. “I need to have a feeling of whether they get what I’m saying or not. I think they understood me. I’m not the kind of coach to sit on the bench and not be aware of what’s to come. I think we can look forward to the game,” said the 70-year-old.

Horst Hrubesch on…

...his first days: It was a lot of fun. The lads were on board right from the start. We tried to bring some fun into it right from the get-go. On the other hand, it’s about working hard. That’s what we did. I’m very happy with how everyone did, and with their willingness to participate.

...potential changes: First and foremost, it’s a mental game. You get the impression that they’re thinking a bit more clearly now. I definitely have my own ideas about the game, but I can’t completely revamp a team within a week. The most important thing will be for us to do our job, to know what we want to do and to get the result we want.

"As you saw in the fans who stopped by training: we’re still alive. That’s the spirit we will try to bring onto the pitch with us.”

...his communication style: One thing that I’ve been able to benefit from, is that there are several players who I know already. That made it easy for me. The team didn’t really know where they were at the moment. If you have that much talent, then you have to be able to show it. However, you’ll only be able to do that if you work for it. It will always come down to us talking and communicating with one another. That’s the key. During training, you saw that the players were actively engaged and alert. I think we can look forward to the game.

...his approach: I’m pragmatic. We’re dependent on outside help in our current situation. It simply doesn’t make any sense to lose games. That’s why we will do everything we can to pick up the points we need and to then see how far that takes us. The past won’t help us now. It’s also not important what it means to me, but rather what it means to HSV. As you saw in the fans who stopped by training: we’re still alive. That’s the spirit we will try to bring onto the pitch with us.

...the support from the fans at training: It’s not only the fans who still believe in a miracle; the same is true for us as well. We won’t be having anything handed to us anymore, which will also be the case tomorrow. What happened at training was great. You could see in people’s faces that they were really happy. That also shows a bit of what defines HSV. We’re still a big family and we will continue to believe until the final day. That’s also what I’ve been trying to convey to the players all week: we need to focus on ourselves, and make sure that we do our homework. Thank you again to the fans, that was really great. It definitely gave the lads a boost.