Interview

A look back with Miro Muheim: “2025 was full of emotions”

Promotion, a return to the Bundesliga and the national team: 2025 has been an intense and emotional 12 months for HSV left-back Miro Muheim. In an interview with HSV.de, he looks back on what was quite the year for himself and for the club.

HSV.de: Miro, 2025 has been a hugely eventful year for you and everyone at HSV. If you had to sum it up in one word or a headline, what would it be?

Miro Muheim: Emotional. It was just a year full of emotions. Promotion in particular was incredibly moving, as was the start of the Bundesliga season. There’s an enormous amount of hard work behind it all – with plenty of highs, but also some tough moments along the way.

What were the highlights of the year for you?

Securing promotion was definitely a huge highlight, especially the celebrations afterwards at the Rathausmarkt. Those days were simply unbelievable, and the memories will stay with me forever. Our first Bundesliga match and the games against Dortmund and Stuttgart, when the stadium was absolutely rocking, are also unforgettable. Those are the moments that immediately come to mind when I think back on the year.

Let’s travel back to the start of the year. Over the winter, Merlin Polzin stepped up from interim head coach to head coach and steered the side to promotion under the motto ‘136’. Looking back, he said it was never a question of if, but when. When did you first feel that this could really be the year?

I first had that real feeling during the training camp in Belek. That’s where it truly began for me. The atmosphere within the squad was excellent, we worked extremely hard together and came back full of energy because everyone was pulling in the same direction. That mindset really stuck with us: we’re a very good team when every single player is giving everything for the group. Everyone put themselves and their ego second and committed fully to the team. From that moment on, something started to change for the better.

Were there other key moments on the road to promotion?

Yes, of course, there were tougher phases this season as well, including in the second half of the campaign and towards the end. But when it really mattered, like in the match away in Darmstadt, we were fully up for it as a team. It was a gritty, hard-fought game. In previous years, we often didn’t come out on top in games like that – the last-minute win in Münster is another example. This time, it was different, and that’s a big reason why we finally got our reward this year.

The Darmstadt match was followed by the decisive game against Ulm on 10th May, when you finally sealed promotion back to the Bundesliga. What was going through your mind when the final whistle blew?

So many emotions all at once. I still can’t really put into words how I felt – relief, happiness, it was just a crazy mix of so many emotions. It was an incredible moment, and even now I find it hard to fully relive or describe it.

The game against Ulm, the party in the stadium and then, a week later, the celebrations with 80,000 people in the city. What was your core promotion memory in all of that?

For me, it was when I was substituted off against Ulm and sat on the ground next to the bench. In that moment, I really realised what we had achieved. I soaked in the atmosphere and the energy from the fans and was completely overwhelmed by my emotions.

With so many emotions, when did you actually get a chance to process it all?

I’m not sure I’ve fully processed it even now! (laughs) When I was on holiday after the season, lying on a sun lounger on the beach with a cocktail in my hand, I finally had some time to let everything sink in and reflect. That’s when I realised just how insane it all was – especially with the fans. I always knew how big this club is, but promotion made that even clearer. The celebrations at the Rathausmarkt and the truck parade around the Alster really showed the full scale and meaning of HSV.

You didn’t get much time to take a breather, though – you went straight to the USA with the national team. What role does Switzerland play in your year in review and in your career in general?

A very big one. Representing your country is a dream, and I enjoy every minute on the pitch. I was first called up while we were still in the second division, which I really didn’t expect at all. That made it even more special to get my first caps. It’s a huge honour, and you really feel that. I get lots of messages from family and friends, everyone is happy for me and proud that I get to play for the national side.

The 2026 World Cup will take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico. How big is the dream of being there?

It’s a massive dream, and one I’ve had since I was a little kid. I still remember the 2006 World Cup in Germany and 2010 in South Africa. It was summer, everyone was outside, football was everywhere and the atmosphere was just incredible. World Cup summers were always the best for me. I was desperate to play myself, pretending to be Diego Forlán and smashing the ball into the top corner. I collected Panini stickers too. To now even have the chance of being part of a World Cup as a national team player feels surreal and would be something very special.

Looking back at HSV in 2025: at the end of August, the club was finally back in the Bundesliga after seven years – and you were right in the middle of it. How did it feel to finally be a Bundesliga player?

It felt great, but at the same time, it was immediately clear: now the real work begins. We knew it wouldn’t be easy and that a lot would be demanded of us. There were many changes within the squad, which was a big adjustment at first. We had to find our rhythm with the new players while also dealing with the fact that some teammates we were very close to were no longer there.

Tactically as well, there were big changes. Coming back from the summer break, you quickly realised how different things were and how much you have to push yourself to compete in the Bundesliga. But that’s exactly what I was looking forward to – the hard work and the chance to finally prove that we belong in the Bundesliga.

What are the biggest differences compared to the second division?

The individual quality and the pace are a real step above. Mistakes are punished much more quickly. That means you have to rely even more on the team as a whole, the entire structure has to work cohesively. If just one player doesn’t fulfil their role, it becomes very difficult. Everyone has to function together as a unit.

After 15 matchdays, where do you feel the team is at in terms of development?

I think we’ve developed very well tactically as a team. Of course, there are individual matches we’re not happy with at all, but overall we’ve made progress. Going forward, we’re not quite where we want to be yet. Defensively, though, we’ve been solid and shown great mentality in many games. Against Dortmund and Stuttgart, for example, we believed in ourselves right until the end and were rewarded.

With all these changes, what comes first on your journey of development: success creates that sense of togetherness, or does the togetherness spur you on to the success?

It’s a bit of both. First, you have to stand together on the pitch with this new setup. You start trusting someone when you know they’ll give everything for you, and vice versa. That’s how trust slowly starts to grow. Conversations in the dressing room or evenings together as a team can help, but for me, it mainly happens on the pitch. That’s where you really learn how someone thinks, how they play football and how to communicate with them. Team development comes from shared experiences – both positive and negative. That’s what brings you together, and it always takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight.

You’re still part of the leadership group and have worn the captain’s armband more often this season. How have you grown as a player and a person in 2025?

I think I’ve taken another big step this year. We lost some guys from the leadership group ahead of the season, who had been so important for the group, and it was important that others stepped up. I saw that responsibility in myself and tried to take it on. Football-wise, I’ve also improved. Even though my role on the pitch has changed, as we don’t have as much possession as we did in the second division, I think I’ve adapted well. There’s still plenty of work to do, but as a team and with the coaching staff, we want to improve every single day, and you can see that we’re moving forward.

Away from the pitch, what shaped or moved you most in 2025?

That’s not easy to answer. It definitely had an impact on me when several players who had become close friends left the club. That stayed with me for a while. At the same time, that’s part of professional football. Players leave, new ones arrive. This season, many new players have joined, and I’ve got to know a lot of great guys again. We’ve brought in some really good characters, and that also takes up a lot of space in your private life in a positive way.

Did you learn anything new in 2025?

Yes, I actually started learning Spanish. I really enjoy it, even though I’m not that good yet. I like the language a lot, I was on holiday in Spain in the summer, and now I’m putting my head down to learn through an online course and a language app.

Finally, looking ahead: a new year is just around the corner. Are you someone who sets New Year’s resolutions, or what are your goals for 2026?

No, if I want to change something or learn something new, I don’t wait for the New Year, I just get on with it straight away. (laughs) From a footballing point of view, I want to really kick on again, keep improving and developing. Above all, I want to continue showing, together with the team, what we’re capable of.