The Bundesliga journey of Hamburger SV came to an end in May 2018. The club had stayed in the first division for 55 years but their relegation was unavoidable when Wolfsburg defeated Cologne. The famous ticking clock came to a halt. The image of the club was in ruins with massive debt and heavy credit lines.
The end had arrived, and it had been approaching for some time. HSV fought relegation playoffs in both 2015 and 2016, and had failed to finish in the Bundesliga top half since 2013.
The rich history of Hamburger SV
The history of these Bundesliga dinosaurs remains unknown to many people. New followers of football will question Hamburg’s prestige compared to rivals FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund. Notably, Der Dinos have claimed six national titles and three DFB-Pokals, along with victories in both the Cup Winners’ Cup and the European Cup of 1983.
The beginning of Hamburg’s greatest period coincided with Felix Magath’s arrival at the club in the mid-70s. The club had many star players during his time, but this renowned attacking midfielder became the face of HSV’s golden era. During his decade at the club (1976-1986), HSV won three Bundesliga titles, its second DFB-Pokal and two European trophies. Felix Magath scored the decisive goal against Juventus in the 1983 European Cup final to earn a 1-0 victory for HSV.
Life after relegation
Following their 2017/18 relegation, the six-time champions remained stuck in the second division after failing to win promotion three times by finishing fourth in the first three seasons.
HSV qualified for the promotion playoffs by finishing third on goal difference ahead of Darmstadt 98 during the 2021–22 season. Yet once more, they lost to Bundesliga’s bottom club Hertha Berlin, who beat them 2–0 at home after HSV won the first match 2–1 in Berlin.
During their fifth season in the 2. Bundesliga in 2022–23, Hamburger SV stayed in the top three positions from matchday 6 until the end of the season. Hamburger SV secured a 1–0 victory against SV Sandhausen during the final matchday, while SSV Jahn Regensburg maintained a 2–1 lead over second-placed FC Heidenheim. This positioned HSV for direct Bundesliga promotion, but lightning struck for the fifth time. Heidenheim scored two goals in 11 minutes of stoppage time to finish second, which pushed Hamburger SV down to third. HSV had to participate in the promotion/relegation playoffs against VfB Stuttgart. They failed to secure promotion to the top division after losing both matches in the relegation playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
HSV spent most of the 2023–24 season among the top three teams until matchday 19, when they fell to fourth place after losing with a score of 3–4 against Karlsruher SC. They ended up in fourth place after their matchday 27 encounter with Greuther Fürth, which ended in a 1–1 draw. HSV missed promotion to the Bundesliga yet again for the sixth consecutive season, while FC St. Pauli and Holstein Kiel achieved promotion.
Will Hamburg return to the Bundesliga on the seventh attempt?
The 2. Bundesliga remains unpredictable through and through. Its unpredictability means that football fans who want to get in on the action must make an in-depth analysis of different stats and trends. Regardless, the market offers sweet odds for fans who want to experience football beyond watching matches. Hamburg faces Preußen Münster in their next match on Friday as they look to continue their pursuit for straight qualification. Odds for them to win are 4/5 for football betting at LeoVegas. Hamburger SV has the potential to make their long-awaited return to the Bundesliga.
They currently occupy the second position in the standings, although they share the same points total as two other teams. But the good thing is that they are also just two points off first-placed FC Cologne.
Notably, the top eight clubs in the league cannot afford to be complacent. Just seven points separate first-placed FC Cologne and eighth-place Karlsruhe. But something seems quite different with this HSV team.
Hamburger SV dismissed Steffen Baumgart from his coaching position because he failed to secure a victory in five consecutive games across all competitions in November. They have since appointed M. Polzin, who seems to be the coach that will get Hamburg over the line.
HSV has one of the biggest budgets and has invested significantly with ambitious squads built for promotion. This could be Der Dino’s time to return to their rightful place as one of the thriving teams in the Bundesliga.
