First team

Getting the ball rolling in 2025

On Thursday, HSV started off the second half of their campaign with a series of fitness tests. The Rothosen will travel to Belek in Turkey to complete a training camp from the 3rd to 11th January, where 32 members of the squad, including Robert Glatzel and Ludovit Reis, will put in the hard yards before the 2024/25 season resumes on matchday 16.

HSV kicked off their 2025 with a series of obligatory fitness tests on Thursday, 2nd January, signalling the start of their preparations for the remainder of the 2024/25 season. Davie Selke (pictured above) and Co. underwent a number of examinations, including blood tests, mobility and jump tests, and a muscular strength analysis. On Friday (3rd January), the Rothosen will jet off to Turkey for their winter training camp, where they will reside at the “Kempinski Hotel The Dome Belek” until the 11th and add the finishing touches ahead of the second half of the campaign.

Noah Katterbach was one of the first HSV players to undergo the fitness tests.

A squad of 32 in Belek

28 outfield players and four goalkeepers will travel to Belek with the Rothosen, including long-term absentees Robert Glatzel (ruptured tendon in hip) and Ludovit Reis (bad thigh muscle injury), who will complete their respective rehabilitation programmes alongside the rest of the team. Glatzel reached an important milestone in his recovery at the end of 2024, taking his first steps on a treadmill in Hamburg shortly before the winter break. The forward picked up where he left off over the Christmas break at his home in Munich, and, like his teammate Reis, is eager to take the next steps towards his comeback in Belek.

Goalkeeper Matheo Raab (broken hand) will not join the rest of the squad in Turkey, yet will continue to work on his rehabilitation in Hamburg alongside centre-back Valon Zumberi, who is working his way back to match fitness with the U21s side. Anssi Suhonen will also be absent from the training camp, as he is currently in talks with a new club.

Head coach Merlin Polzin and assistant coach Loic Fave are eager to start the new year on a high on the back of the training camp in Turkey.

Nine days in Turkey with two friendlies

Even without the trio, head coach Merlin Polzin will have the pick of the bunch for HSV’s training camp in Turkey, which is designed to challenge and develop his team to the greatest extent on a tactical, physical and individual level. The Rothosen will partake in two friendly fixtures over the course of their nine days in Belek.

This will be the team’s first test of strength and chance to play a competitive match in the new year, which will provide many of the players the opportunity to prove themselves worthy of a spot in the squad when the season resumes, including a number of talents from the youth side.

HSV’s squad for the training camp in Belek:

Goalkeepers: Daniel Heuer Fernandes, Tom Mickel, Hannes Hermann, Luis Klatte

Defenders: William Mikelbrencis, Sebastian Schonlau, Dennis Hadzikadunic, Lucas Perrin, Miro Muheim, Silvan Hefti, Noah Katterbach, Luis Seifert, Nicolas Oliveira, Lukas Bornschein, Joel Agyekum

Midfielders: Lukasz Poreba, Daniel Elfadli, Immanuel Pherai, Ludovit Reis, Adam Karabec, Marco Richter, Jonas Meffert, Bilal Yalcinkaya, Omar Megeed

Forwards: Jean-Luc Dompe, Robert Glatzel, Ransford Königsdörffer, Bakery Jatta, Davie Selke, Emir Sahiti, Fabio Balde, Otto Stange