Remberg: “Everyone is already raring to go”

The DFB-Pokal returns to the Volksparkstadion for the first time since the 2021/22 semi-final, as HSV welcome second-division side Holstein Kiel to their home ground on Tuesday (20:45 CET). The match is set to be extra special for HSV midfielder Nicolai Remberg – the 25-year-old made the move to Hamburg from Kiel last summer, having spent two years there where he was a key figure in their promotion side. “Rambo” quickly established himself as a HSV regular and is yet to miss a minute in the Bundesliga this season, while also covering more distance (136 kilometres, 6th most in the division) than any of his teammates. The midfield engine spoke in detail about…

…facing his former side: I got promoted to the Bundesliga with Kiel, so it’s a special club for me and will always remain so. It’s great that I’m coming up against them just six months after leaving. Kiel’s record against HSV is very good so far, but we’re really up for this match and are dying to advance to the next round. It’s the first home cup game for HSV in three years. No one in our squad will need to be fired up for this – everyone is already raring to go.

…the appeal of the cup: The winner stays on – it's what the boss tells us and what's written on the ball. It's a nice message. We want to get to the next round and ideally get as far as possible. That's what motivates all of us.

“A team that’s on a bad run is always tricky to play against, because they want to come out and prove something.”

…the upcoming opponents: The Kiel games I’ve watched have been good. They’ve played well in a lot of games and created a lot of chances. They just haven’t got their rewards yet. A team that’s on a bad run is always tricky to play against, because they want to come out and prove something. They’re going to play with a lot of courage. Anything can happen in the Pokal. We need to put in a good performance and focus on our own game.

…his role as an ever-present in the HSV side: I just do my own thing and approach my role with humility. It’s a mindset that’s helped me in my career so far – if I stay true to myself then I’ll get playing time. I’ve show what I can do here, but at the same time we have so many guys here with so much quality. I can’t sit back and relax; I have to perform well, otherwise there are people ready to take my place.

…the game against Stuttgart: You get an enormous boost when you score a last-minute winner while being a man down. I must have rewatched the video of the winning goal ten times. The noise and the emotions were just incredible. The win gives us a really good feeling. We’ve got three home games in a row coming up and we want to win all of them.