Hamburg - SV Hamburg face tough times as fears are rising
that a club management crisis could spill over to the team and
prevent further top results.
Hamburg reached the UEFA Cup and German cup semi-finals last
season and finished fifth in the Bundesliga to qualify for the the
Europa League.
But coach Martin Jol has now left after just one year for Ajax
Amsterdam in his native Netherlands and sports director Dietmar
Beiersdorfer quit on Tuesday night after seven years over
long-standing differences with club president Bernd Hoffmann.
'Is Hoffmann sinking the HSV,' asked the Bild daily in the
northern German port city on Thursday.
Beiersdorfer accused Hoffmann of interfering in his areas as the
Hamburger Abendblatt daily named Hoffmann a 'power player' who is
more and more turning the club into a 'Hoffmann SV.'
'Unfortunately HSV is losing its soul,' said Beiersdorfer, a
former team captain in Hamburg.
Jol was even more blunt, saying that Hoffmann was living in a
fairy tale because 'He wants to sell all players and still win
titles.'
Hoffmann's main aim is success for the only club never relegated
from the Bundesliga but without a title since the 1987 German cup
win. The biggest moment, the European Champions Cup title, even dates
back another four years to 1983.
Hamburg have found a new coach in Bruno Labbadia but due to the
leadership crisis the club is yet to hire a new player for the season
which starts in early August.
Ivica Olic has left for Bayern Munich and Hamburg need to
strengthen their team further in order not to run out of steam again
like they did at the end of the past season.
No one argues that the merchant Hoffmann has done Hamburg good on
the economic side, transforming the club from a debt-ridden outfit
'into the second best brand in the league after Bayern Munich'
(Sueddeutsche Zeitung).
But his leadership style remains controversial. Hoffmann admitted
to have been too emotional at the end of the past season but he also
insisted that as the club boss 'I must overlook the development in
all areas, including the sporting side.'
It remains unclear who will succeed Beiersdorfer with Bild
observing that 'It will be interesting to see whether Hoffmann will
bring in strong man - or a puppet.'
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