“I’m trying to make clear what makes this club special.”

Steffen Baumgart’s time at Hamburger SV officially began at 14:00 CET on Tuesday 20th February. In a press conference, the new head coach, who signed his contract with the Rothosen this morning, was introduced and answered media representatives’ questions alongside head of sport Jonas Boldt. There, he gave an insight into how he plans to approach the task ahead at HSV. “I’m very happy to be here. I think we’re a good fit. We’ll keep trying to make everything else fit. I’m trying to make clear what makes this club special,” said Baumgart.

The 52-year-old also spoke about...

...his fondness for HSV: Everyone who knows me knows that HSV are a special club to me. Now I’m hoping that they will also be a special club to work for. You never change your club when you decide to support them as a child. But it won’t work if I only bring sympathy, because it’ll also need a lot of work. I’m not here because I’m a fan, but because trust has been put in me to make a positive impact here.

...his preparation for HSV: HSV has always been a club that hasn’t only been watched by me, but by everybody. I’ve prepared myself for the team. I hope to draw the right conclusions. I will try to develop ideas regarding how we can continue to be successful together with the team because this team hasn’t been unsuccessful. You also have to mention that.

…his first steps: These will depend a lot on training and communication. That doesn’t mean that I’ll be holding individual conversations with every player one after another. I’m someone who communicates a lot, but not in individual conversations. Instead, they will see that I chat a lot with the boys on the pitch and try to build trust in that manner. I believe that the boys have enough self-confidence. I would like to work on the team embodying what sets them apart once again – that is playing good, crisp football and attacking bravely.