)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
10.09.2026
Poulsen ahead of milestone: “Your goals don’t change just because you get older”
The 32-year-old Dane is set to make his 250th Bundesliga appearance. In an interview with HSV.de, he talks about what is typical of the Bundesliga, who his toughest opponent was and how he is looking ahead to Sunday’s reunion with RB Leipzig.
HSV.de: Yussi, you are one game away from making your 250th Bundesliga appearance. What does that number mean to you, and how much attention do you still pay to milestones like this after so many years in professional football?
Yussuf Poulsen: I didn’t even know about it. I only found out during the briefing for this interview. (smiles) It’s obviously a great achievement. When you reach milestones, you should celebrate them too. Of course, it would bring things full circle if I reached this milestone against my former club. But I don’t get quite the same butterflies in my stomach for my 250th Bundesliga game as I did before my first.
)
You made your Bundesliga debut in August 2016 as an RB Leipzig player away at Hoffenheim. You played 82 minutes in a 2-2 draw. What did it mean to you at the age of 22 to play in the Bundesliga for the first time?
That game meant I was where I wanted to be. You always have dreams and goals – and when you are young, those goals are even bigger. I moved to Germany because I wanted to play in the Bundesliga, but I knew it would take a few years because Leipzig were still playing in the third division. It took three years.
If you had already achieved your goal back then, what does it feel like to now be playing your eleventh consecutive Bundesliga season?
Your dreams and goals don’t change just because you get older. You simply come up with new ones. I’d also like to make it to 300 Bundesliga appearances. (smiles) A number is just a number, but at the same time it shows what you have achieved in your career so far. For me, it’s always about what comes next. That mindset has been a constant throughout my entire career.
In March 2019, you scored your only hat-trick in a 5-0 win against Hertha BSC. Was that your best individual performance, or can you think of another game?
I don’t think it was my best performance. I remember scoring three good goals. But I don’t judge myself solely on goals; I look at my overall performance. There were other games where, in terms of how I felt about my performance, I was better. You can have a bad game and still score a goal and be the match-winner. But I would still be disappointed with my personal performance.
Where does your 3-2 winning goal in the Northern Derby against Werder Bremen last December rank among your personal Bundesliga highlights?
Very high up! I’d say it’s in the top three in terms of emotion. What happened here in the stadium was quite extraordinary. It encompasses everything I had experienced and achieved up to that point.
)
Who has been your toughest opponent in the Bundesliga so far?
There have been many good defenders in the Bundesliga, but I would name Jonathan Tah. I already played against him in the second division when he was still at Fortuna Düsseldorf. He’s a great guy and a very good defender. We always had very good battles. And what I appreciate about him is that those battles were always fair. You can go into a tackle and compete hard, but when everyone leaves the pitch, you shake hands.
And which teammate have you had, or do you still have, a particularly strong connection with?
I had a very good understanding with Emil Forsberg. For me, he is one of the most technically gifted players I have played with. Over the years, we developed such a great understanding that we didn’t even have to look at each other – we always knew what runs the other was going to make. You can’t build that kind of connection with every player.
How does something like that work?
First of all, you have to be a good fit as players. Secondly, you have to communicate, constantly look at each other, recognize patterns and remember them. Then it more or less happens naturally. Those are the most important things.
What, to you, is typically Bundesliga?
Transition football! That’s why there are so many goals. The football is also more high-risk compared with other leagues or at international level. But of course, the atmosphere in the stadiums is part of it too – the Bundesliga has the best. I’ve already played in other stadiums around the world, but for me, nothing compares to the Bundesliga.
)
The fact that you could now celebrate your milestone at your former club RB Leipzig would obviously make for a fitting story. When you returned there last October, you were officially given a farewell, and there was even a special choreography for you. What feelings do you associate with that day, and how emotional do you think it will be for you the second time around?
The most emotional moment is always when you experience something for the first time. That day was very emotional. Hats off to the Leipzig fans for what they prepared for me. I’ve never experienced anything like it before. I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else either. Playing there again this year will be a little less emotional, but it will still be special, and I’m looking forward to seeing the other guys.
Last season, both games ended in narrow 2-1 defeats for HSV. What would have to be different this time for you to come away with something to show for it?
We were very good in the first game. Our overall performance was very good; it was more a matter of being more efficient with our chances. We need to build on that. Leipzig deserved to win the second game. You can take a few things from those matches, but on Sunday we will face a different team. It’s a new season, with new players on both sides. Leipzig even have a new coach. We’ll see how our coaches prepare us this week for what awaits us.
Advertisement