Details in view: Rothosen return to the Volkspark

“Make sure that we pay attention to detail,” were Daniel Thioune’s final words at training on Tuesday, reinforcing the importance of accuracy in the last few weeks of pre-season. During the six-day training camp in Bad Häring the HSV head coach put a lot of emphasis on carrying out drills and games to the highest degree of accuracy, setting the standards for the season to come. With only 13 days left until the season opener in the DFB Pokal against Dynamo Dresden, Thioune and his coaching staff want to keep the intensity in training sessions high, demanding high levels of concentration from the first team. After an intense camp in Austria, the 27 members of the squad were given Monday off, before turning up the heat again on Tuesday afternoon. Aaron Hunt, Jan Gyamerah and Simon Terodde all spent time with rehab coach Sebastian Capel during the session, with the trio at different stages of their comebacks from niggling injuries.

The final friendly of pre-season is the next stop for the Rothosen on Saturday (5th September), with Hertha BSC travelling from the capital for the game at 4:00pm CET. The game is part of the traditional curtain raiser for the season, the Volksparkfest, which is taking place in digital form this year, and sees a performance from Hamburg band Abschlach, interviews with HSV legends and a presentation of the team amongst other highlights.