Interview

“Mario is and will remain a member of our HSV family”

HSV board members Stefan Kuntz and Dr. Eric Huwer discuss Mario Vuskovic’s doping verdict, the reactions to the decisions and the consequences for HSV in an interview with HSV.de.

hsv.de: Two days ago, HSV received the news that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had given Mario Vuskovic a four-year ban. Stefan, you were one of the first to inform the team of the decision. What led you to do that and what was their reaction?

Stefan Kuntz: It seemed obvious to me that Mario’s teammates and colleagues should hear the news first-hand. Especially because the team had, and continue to have, an extremely close connection to Mario. They reacted just as you’d expect them to. The players were just as shocked and upset as we were, and the mood quickly plummeted. That’s to be expected when you care for one another.

How did others at HSV react, as well as those outside the club?

Dr. Eric Huwer: It was pretty similar across the board. The majority of our office was extremely shocked. We also received several emails and calls from loyal partners, shareholders and fans that all shared the same feelings of dismay, perplexion and sympathy. These feelings were also echoed across social media.

"Mario needs support and an environment that will support hin", says Stefan Kuntz.

Stefan, are you at all worried that the verdict and its emotional impacts could have an effect on the team’s performance?

Stefan Kuntz: It’s impossible to know what’s going on inside the mind of each individual player. The mood had changed yesterday already, back to being focused on the task at hand. My impression is that the bad news from Lausanne could also serve as an additional source of motivation for our team. The team want to win for Mario and send him an encouraging message from the pitch.

Have you, or do you plan, on being in touch with Mario?

Dr. Eric Huwer: We have stayed in touch with Mario ever since he was first barred from training and playing in 2022.

What’s your impression of Mario’s current state of mind? His most recent posts on social media give off the impression that he will continue fighting and hasn’t been broken by the verdict.

Stefan Kuntz: That’s the impression I have as well. We can’t forget that he’s only 22 years old, and that this situation is anything but normal. Mario has handled it well and is extremely mature. Nevertheless, he still needs support and an environment that will support and stand by him during this tough time. The verdict is a heavy blow for someone like Mario, a footballer with ambitions of his own, who has maintained his innocence. We will need to see how he handles the coming days and weeks.  

"Our focus isn’t on Mario Vuskovic, the football player, but rather on him as a person," said Dr. Eric Huwer.

What comes next? How will HSV react to this new state of affairs?

Dr. Eric Huwer: I hope that everyone is aware that right now, we cannot offer any definite answers to this. Given the complexity of the situation, we cannot make any hasty decisions, out of respect to Mario and out of a duty of care to the club. We need to accept that Mario’s appeal to the CAS was unsuccessful and that the possibility of further appeals is very limited, even if, emotionally, this is hard for us to hear. It’s not an easy situation.

Scientific reports and leading experts have all expressed doubts about Mario’s positive test. We were confident that these doubts would be heard in Lausanne, but unfortunately, this wasn’t so. Despite all the legal proceedings, statements made and paragraphs written, as well as the many technical discussions by renowned scientists from around the world, our focus isn’t on Mario Vuskovic, the football player, but rather on him as a person. We will therefore continue to be there for him. Mario is and will remain an integral part of our HSV family.

Stefan Kuntz: Exactly, we won’t abandon Mario. We will also not allow ourselves to be pressured when it comes to determining our next steps. Firstly, the lawyers must examine the extensive written verdict and discuss it with Mario. We will then approach Mario and determine what will happen next. I’d like to ask for everyone’s understanding that this will not happen overnight. After all, we also need to ensure that we observe the legal framework of what’s even possible.

What are you expecting at the Volksparkstadion on Saturday evening?

Dr. Eric Huwer: Our fans and members have taken an impressive stand on a variety of social media platforms over the past days. I’m certain that this support and passion will be clearly felt on matchday, both at and around the stadium.

Stefan Kuntz: In particular, I’m expecting a tight-knit unit that will fight to take all three points together – not only for HSV, but for Mario as well.

Thank you for your time.