Press Conference
13.05.22
"That's exactly why we are in sport".
In the press conference before the away game at F.C. Hansa Rostock, HSV coach Tim Walter spoke about the special situation in the season finale and his expectations for the game, among other things.
Sunday afternoon will be the final match of the 2021/22 second division season. As always, all nine matches will be played simultaneously and kick off at 3.30 pm. This year's season finale promises to be particularly exciting in the promotion race, with SV Werder Bremen in second place (60 points, goal difference +20), Hamburger SV in third (57, +31) and SV Darmstadt 98 (57, +22) in fourth. While Bremen (against Regensburg) and Darmstadt (against Paderborn) both play at home in this long-distance duel, HSV are guests of F.C. Hansa Rostock at the Ostseestadion. With four wins in a row, the Rotshosen are confident going into the duel with the twelfth-placed team in the table and perceive the pressure situation in the season finale as an absolute privilege, as head coach Tim Walter stated in today's matchday press conference.
The 46-year-old spoke in detail about...
... the pressure situation in the season finale: "We would be doing the wrong job if we showed nerves now. That's exactly why we are athletes. We work towards a final like this. When you have games like this, always wanting to be successful and get ahead, a situation like this makes life a bit different. We are just looking forward to it, full of anticipation, focus and energy! That's what this weekend is all about.
... his expectations for the game: Every player on the pitch plays to win. We saw that last week against Hannover 96. And we expect the same at the weekend in Rostock. We can expect a heated atmosphere. That's what we play football for. It's nice to finally have spectators in the hut again. Nobody will give us anything, we will throw everything in and try to hold our ground. That's why games like this make us better. We want to win. At the same time, we know that Hansa Rostock will demand everything from us. It's going to be a tough one.
... ... on his interaction with the team: "I don't do anything special, I just am who I am. People are very important to me, they are in the foreground. I think my players sense that. They know that first and foremost it's about being human, trust and honesty. That's how I try to be towards them and that's how they are towards me. That's what the boys, the club and I enjoy, and that's why it's such a round thing here at HSV.
... the loss of Anssi Suhonen: The story is not nice, but duels and injuries are part of sport. The boys are always thinking of him and I'll go to the hospital right away. But now we have to manage without him at the weekend. We have many options to replace Anssi. We've already proven that many times this season with our variable style of play. Maximilian Rohr, David Kinsombi are possible options, as are Moritz Heyer or Sonny Kittel, who can play on the eight. We could also field a second striker.