Merlin Polzin extends contract with HSV

Hamburger SV and assistant coach Merlin Polzin have agreed on an early contract extension. The 33-year-old had previously worked in the Rothosen's youth set-up before moving to VfL Osnabrück in 2014, from where he then returned to Hamburg from ahead of the 2020/21 season.  While at VfL, Polzin worked together with Daniel Thioune in various teams at the club, including three years as part of the first-team coaching staff. During this time, the side were promoted to Bundesliga 2 after winning the 3. Liga in 2018. The duo then moved to HSV in 2020/21. Since then, Polzin has impressed with his work both on and off the pitch. "At our club, it's not only the players that have an opportunity to grow and develop, but also our coaches and employees," said HSV head of sport Jonas Boldt. "Merlin is a prime example of this. He has consistently grown over the last years, both as a coach and as a person, and has taken big steps forward in his development. I quickly realised that he is a very talented coach, but his journey is far from finished yet. We're very happy to be able to continue working together at HSV." 

"It didn't take me long to know that I wanted to extend my contract with HSV."

"Merlin's meticulous attention to detail and his passion for the sport and our club are impressive," said Claus Costa, head of professional football at HSV. "Additionally, Merlin's genuine, loyal and positive attitude fits in well with not only the players, but his other colleague as well, and he occupies an important role in our coaching set-up." As a Hamburg native, Polzin is eager to continue contributing to the team. "There's no secret about the special connection I have to HSV and to our city. I feel very at home here and enjoy coming to work every day. I feel extremely motivated to continue to build something here, together with the club representatives, my fellow coaches and the team." Polzin, who is currently also working towards his UEFA Pro License at the DFB academy in Frankfurt, didn't need long to decide to continue his affiliation with the Rothosen. "We have started down the right path over the last years and invested a lot into it, but we are by no means at the end of our journey yet," Polzin said. "That's why it didn't take me long to know that I wanted to extend my contract with HSV."