Polzin: “Hungry and excited for what lies ahead”

HSV are the first Bundesliga team to begin their preparations for the 2025/26 season. That alone says a lot about how head coach Merlin Polzin and his team are approaching the new campaign – where the focus lies and what both players and coaching staff expect from themselves: hard work, commitment and getting stuck in. But all of that comes with the right amount of enjoyment, because promotion to the Bundesliga is something to be celebrated. From now on, the Rothosen will be preparing for life in the top flight – with the right balance. Hunger and desire, plain and simple. And that’s exactly what the coach addressed during his first media round after those opening moments on the training pitch. In that session, Merlin Polzin spoke about …

…the first few days after the summer break: During the time off – which was important for all of us, both physically and mentally – I already noticed the excitement starting to build again. As a coaching team, we were actually in contact with the sporting management almost every day during that period, but we were still able to recharge the batteries. Now, we’re looking forward to tackling our shared tasks and everything that lies ahead. And that starts with a solid pre-season.

…aims for pre-season: Having been out of the Bundesliga for a number of years, we know what kind of role we are expected to play. We therefore want to work hard every day to try and constantly improve. We will have high expectations of ourselves and will hold ourselves to high standards. That’s what pre-season will be about for us. Our aim is to have the best possible pre-season and to prepare ourselves as well as we can for the Bundesliga.

…squad planning: We’re not looking for quick fixes – we want to strengthen the team in specific positions, with players who not only fit in from a footballing perspective but, above all, suit us in terms of character. The new signings have settled in really well, both in the talks beforehand and now in these first few days. We still want to strengthen further and we have a clear idea of how we want to do that. We’re well aware that this might take a little more time, but making the right decision is more important than making a rushed one.

…the latest new signing Rayan Philippe: Rayan is a great fit for us as both a player and a person. He’s extremely down-to-earth and has high expectations of himself. We told him of the plans we have for him and are happy that he chose to join HSV. He is fully committed to developing his game and will definitely help us with his pace, runs in behind and his eye for goal.

…the approach for the coming weeks: Every single one of us is hungry and excited for what lies ahead – the Bundesliga. We’ve spent the summer break analysing the Bundesliga in great detail and looking at what awaits us. Based on that, we’ve adjusted our squad planning and will also adapt our style of play accordingly. We’re preparing as best we can to be competitive and play our part in the Bundesliga. At the same time, we want to stay humble, but also carry the energy of promotion and the incredible strength of this club with us into the new season.