It’s been almost twelve months since the HSV fans celebrated a huge party in Düsseldorf. On the occasion of the Supporters Club’s 30th birthday, up to 25,000 supporters made their way to the Merkur Spiel-Arena – and even if the result (2:2) and performance did not live up to the expectations, the fans left the stadium March 2023 celebrating, not angry – unlike this Friday evening. Nothing is lost in the fight for promotion, but the supporters, this time with around 10,000 people on site, made the professionals feel more clearly than in a long time how upset they were about the frightening 0-2 performance.
“That’s okay,” said Sebastian Schonlau after he and his colleagues approached the away corner after the final whistle. This time, however, at a great distance, because for the first time in a long time the fans were forced to whistle and sometimes even insult them, and occasionally cups flew into the interior.
HSV captain Schonlau understands fans’ whistles
“The fact that the fans are still disappointed after last week is certainly part of it,” said captain Schonlau. “It was crazy again how many people came here – and then you lose the game 2-0. Of course that hurts the fans and they expressed their displeasure, they are allowed to do that and it’s completely okay. After a game like that, you have to stand there and listen to it. That’s just the way it is.” But that was also an absolutely exceptional case when you look at the last few months and years.
After the 3:4 against Hannover 96, the last game under former coach Tim Walter and the third home defeat in a row four weeks ago, there had been a whistle concert for a long time, in a mini version even at half time. With the dismissal of Walter, who had not wrongly attributed the creation of unity with the appendix to himself, and the enthronement of Steffen Baumgart, a new wave of euphoria arose in the Volkspark almost three weeks ago.
New hope for promotion, a Baumgart hype – but there is already not much confidence that the return to the Bundesliga will work out under the new coach. At least for the time being, and the HSV professionals themselves are responsible for that after a performance that once again raised many questions.
“It sucks”: But Raab has no HSV promotion worries
“It sucks,” Matheo Raab summed it up late on Friday evening. But there is no room for doubt, only room for optimism: “I’m not worried about promotion at all,” emphasized the keeper. “If we leave our hearts on the pitch, like we do during the week, and then reward ourselves at the weekend, then I have no worries at all.” With if-then scenarios, problems that repeat themselves on a weekly basis were created solved only in the rarest of cases. But of course the HSV professionals have no choice but to exude confidence – also to keep the fans’ hopes alive.
“Those are two very sensitive defeats,” admitted Schonlau, referring to the second defeat after the similarly disillusioning 1:2 against VfL Osnabrück. “But I don’t worry about getting the energy back up because, to be honest, football always starts all over again. You can show what you’re made of every weekend. We have kept it that way for the last few years. As long as this thing isn’t over, we will always fight, move forward and keep working. We will do the same this season.” Especially since HSV still has promotion in its own hands, despite the recent setback.
HSV still has promotion in its own hands
Holstein Kiel (now 46 points) won its home game against Karlsruher SC 1-0 on Saturday and, as second in the table, is now already five points ahead of third-placed HSV (41 points), whose hopes of direct promotion continue nine games before the end of the season shrink. And the Hamburg team also has themselves to blame for the fact that Düsseldorf (40 points) is only one point behind HSV thanks to the home win.
But at least Hannover 96 (39 points) didn’t get more than a 1-1 draw at Wehen Wiesbaden and thus missed out on thwarting HSV’s desire for relegation. And SpVgg Greuther Fürth (38 points) won’t be able to do that either unless the cloverleaf sends SV Elversberg home on Sunday with an eight-goal difference. However, the results of the promotion competition cannot avert the frustration of their own fans.
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Because HSV has never had as few points in its second division history as it does at this point, and there are only a measly three points between third and seventh place – and the neighborhood from the neighborhood could move up to ten at the top of the table on Sunday with a home win against Hertha BSC take away points.