Team

Poulsen on return to Leipzig: “Excited to see how it feels as an opponent”

Ahead of HSV’s away trip to RB Leipzig, Yussuf Poulsen spoke to the media about his emotional return to his former club, his current fitness and the team’s recent progress.

Saturday’s (18th October, 15:30 CEST) match at the Red Bull Arena will be a special one for HSV captain Yussuf Poulsen. The 31-year-old striker will return to face the club where he spent twelve successful years, having joined Leipzig as a 19-year-old in 2013. His debut came in a 1-0 win at Hallescher FC in the 3. Liga – the first chapter in a remarkable rise that saw RB climb all the way to the Bundesliga, establish themselves among the league’s elite, qualify regularly for the Champions League and lift the DFB-Pokal twice. Poulsen was central to that journey, developing in step with the club and leaving in the summer of 2025 as Leipzig’s record appearance holder with 425 games, 95 goals and 66 assists.

It’s only fitting that the fan favourite will be given a warm reception before kick-off – complete with a special choreography in his honour. The occasion is bound to stir emotions, but the HSV captain, who missed three matches with a thigh issue before returning to the squad against Mainz 05, is determined to take something back from his old home ground. Speaking on Wednesday (15th October), Poulsen spoke about…

…his return to Leipzig: It’ll be the first time I’ve been at the Red Bull Arena not as a home player. I’ve never even been in the away dressing room before, so it’ll definitely be a special day. My family and my mum are coming from Denmark, and I’m really looking forward to playing in that stadium again. I’m excited to see how it feels to face Leipzig as an opponent – hopefully it’ll be a great game with an amazing atmosphere.

…meeting familiar faces: There’s been quite a bit of change in Leipzig too, but I’ve still played with a lot of the lads there, including Willi Orban, Lukas Klostermann, Péter Gulácsi and Kevin Kampl. I spent several years alongside them, so there’s still a connection to the club. Willi was probably my most frequent training opponent. We had plenty of fiery duels in training, and if we face off again on Saturday, I’m sure it’ll be the same – neither of us will pull out of a challenge! (laughs)

…his physical condition: The medical team has a clear plan and I’m sticking to it. My training workload is being managed step by step. I’m feeling good and hope the setbacks are behind me now. I just need to get back into rhythm and keep playing – then I’ll gradually get back to 100 percent.

…his role outside of matches: I haven’t been able to help the team in games recently, but I’ve still been on the training pitch with the lads. That’s also a chance to bring my experience to the table. In matches it’s all about winning, while in training it’s about improving every day. I’ve tried to have a positive influence on the team even when I couldn’t be out there during games.

…the team’s development: From day one I could see and feel the first signs of progress. I was confident we’d keep improving game by game, because we’re still a relatively new group. So it doesn’t surprise me that we’re taking those steps now. The fact that we’re getting good results as well – and won so convincingly at home last time – makes it even better.

…his expectations for the match: We’re certainly not travelling to Leipzig as favourites. We’ll see whether we can produce the same level of performance against a top opponent. If we can build on the past few weeks, then there’s no reason we can’t come away with a positive result.