Training camp

Merlin Polzin: “Win every single day”

HSV head coach Merlin Polzin spoke at the start of the training camp in Helsingør about the upcoming summer preparations, the squad and the culture and identity of his team.

The Rothosen are back – and so is head coach Merlin Polzin. The 35-year-old coach returns from a “fantastic holiday” spent with his girlfriend, friends and family, including time in the USA, one of this year’s World Cup host nations. On the first day of the training camp in Denmark, he was back in his element. “If you want to deliver top performances, you need those moments where you can switch off, recharge and then come back here full of energy,” explained the Hamburg-born coach in a media round following the first training session.

Those who know Polzin – who is now entering his seventh summer of pre-season preparations with the Rothosen and his second as a Bundesliga head coach – will know that football and HSV were sure to remain constants in his life throughout the World Cup. He was in daily contact with new board member for sport Kathleen Krüger, sporting director Claus Costa and his coaching staff to prepare for the new season. Now the work begins again. It’s the kind of task the detail-oriented coach enjoys most – working with his team on the training pitch.

During the press round, Polzin spoke in detail about…

…the training camp in Helsingør: “We’re enjoying excellent conditions here. The pitch is fantastic, and the people around the training ground and hotel are extremely friendly – exactly as I have come to know Denmark as a fan of the country. It is a good start, similar to the one we had in Copenhagen last year. Now it’s about getting back up to speed with one another while, at the same time, having a clear focus for the first few days of training: How do we want to play? What are our standards, what are our expectations, what do we accept? We want to demand these answers from the very first day. That is why today was not about easing ourselves in with a few relaxed games. We want to approach every exercise with maximum intensity and demand a lot from the players on the pitch.”

…the pre-season period: “We have six-and-a-half weeks until our first competitive match in the cup away at Verl. Of course, the squad is not yet complete, both in terms of arrivals and departures, but that does not affect our daily work on the training pitch. These upcoming weeks will determine how we start the season and who we want to be. We have a foundation to build on – in terms of our culture, our team and the way we want to play. We want to use that and continue developing through focused, high-quality technical work. We want to improve every day, pay attention to every small detail and win every single day. That is our motto, and that is how we want to approach things.”

“It is about continuing to grow in a healthy way.”

…the team’s development: “We will definitely build on last season. We went into every Bundesliga match with a positive feeling. That was not something that happened by chance; it was the result of good work in training and extensive analysis. Now we want to take the next steps, in terms of intensity and transitional play, for example. It is about continuing to grow in a healthy way. As a promoted side, a lot was new for us last season. This time it’s different. It is less about what’s awaiting us and more about the attitude with which we want to approach things. In our season review, there were several areas that did not satisfy us, including certain intensity levels. That is why I am generally demanding more intensity. It starts with the smallest details – even in a simple passing drill in training: Do I immediately tell a teammate when they play a poor pass, or do I just accept it? We have to be sharp in training and demand that consistently. The standard we set for ourselves is non-negotiable.”

…squad planning: “The profiles we need for our style of football are clearly understood by the coaching staff, and we have aligned those ideas with Claus and the team around the scouting department. Everyone is completely on the same page. We are now carefully selecting the right players for those profiles, and we want to give ourselves the necessary time to make the right decisions for the future of the club.”

…working with Kathleen Krüger: “Our communication so far has been intensive, focused and goal-oriented, concentrated clearly on what we want to achieve together with HSV. She has said herself that she has received a very open and warm welcome. But that only happens if you approach people with openness yourself. That is why the relationship and the work have been very positive and enjoyable. I am looking forward to now getting started with the day-to-day work together with the team and no longer being connected only through phone calls and meetings. Honestly, our ideas – particularly when it comes to leadership and culture – have been very similar. Of course, it is my responsibility to put forward our perspective as a coaching staff and from within the team. At the same time, I can learn a great deal from her experience. I think we can help each other to improve. That is not only the goal for the team, but for HSV as a whole.”

…World Cup call-ups Miro Muheim and Sander Tangvik: “We are following them with incredible enthusiasm. Norway and their rowing have got everyone hooked. And Miro, who perhaps had an unfortunate start to the tournament from an outside perspective, produced a strong performance in the round of 16 and helped Switzerland achieve something historic. For HSV, that is something very special. We are keeping our fingers crossed for both of them, as well as Otto Stange, who is now in the European U19 Championship final with Germany.”