Hamburger SV

Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V.(German:[ˈhambʊʁɡɐˈʃpɔʁtfɛɐ̯ˌʔaɪ̯n]), commonly known asHamburger SV(pronounced[ˈhambʊʁɡɐʔɛsˈfaʊ]) orHamburg(pronounced[ˈhambʊʁk]), orHSV(pronounced[ˌhaːʔɛsˈfaʊ]), is a Germansports clubbased inHamburg, with its largest branch being itsfootballdepartment. Though the current HSV was founded in June 1919 from a merger of three earlier clubs, it traces its origins to 29 September 1887 when the first of the predecessors,SC Germania, was founded.
HSV has won theGerman national championshipsix times, theDFB-Pokalthree times and the formerLeague Cuptwice. The team's most successful period was from the mid-1970s until the mid-1980s when, in addition to several domestic honours, they won the1976–77 European Cup Winners' Cupand the1982–83 European Cup. The outstanding players of this period wereHorst Hrubesch,Manfred Kaltz, andFelix Magath, all regulars in the West German National Team. To date, HSV's last major trophy was the1986–87 DFB-Pokal. Up until the2017–18 Bundesliga season, which found the team relegated for the first time in history, HSV's football team had the distinction of being the only team that hadplayed continuously in the top tierof theGerman football league systemsince the founding of the club at the end ofWorld War I. It was subsequently the only team that had played in every season of theBundesligasince its foundation in 1963.
HSV play their home games at theVolksparkstadioninBahrenfeld, a western district of Hamburg. The club colours are officially blue, white and black but the home kit of the team is white jerseys and red shorts. The team's most common nickname is "die Rothosen" (the Red Shorts). As it is one of Germany's oldest clubs, it is also known asder Dinosaurier(the Dinosaur). HSV haverivalrieswithWerder Bremen, with whom they contest theNordderby, and Hamburg-basedFC St. Pauli, with whom they contest theHamburg derby.
HSV is notable in football as a grassroots-oriented organisation which places strong emphasis on youth development. The club had a team in theWomen's Bundesligafrom 2003 to 2012 but it was demoted to Regionalliga level because of financial problems. Other club sections includebadminton,baseball,basketball,bowling,boxing,cricket,darts,ice hockey,field hockey,golf,gymnastics,handball, andcardiopulmonary rehabilitationexercises. These sections represent about 10% of the club membership. HSV is one of the biggest sports clubs in Germany with over 84,000 members total in all its sections,and according toForbesit is among the 20 largestfootball clubsin the world.
Hamburger Sport-Verein (HSV) traces its origin to the merger ofDer Hohenfelder SportclubandWandsbek-Marienthaler Sportclubon 29 September 1887 to formSport-Club Germania Hamburg, usually referred to asSC Germania. This was the first of three clubs that merged on 2 June 1919 to create HSV in its present form. HSV in its club statute recognises the founding of SC Germania as its own date of origin.The other two clubs in the June 1919 merger wereHamburger FCfounded in 1888 andFC Falke Eppendorfdating back to 1906. The merger came about because the three clubs had been severely weakened by the impact of the First World War on manpower and finance, and they could not continue as separate entities.
SC Germania was formed originally as an athletics club, and did not begin to play football until 1891, when some Englishmen joined the club and introduced it. SC Germania had its first success in 1896, winning the Hamburg-Altona championship for the first of five times. Germania playerHans Nobiling[de]emigrated to Brazil at the end of the 19th century, in the foundation ofSC Internacional, the third oldest club of the country which became part ofSão Paulo FC, one of the major sports clubs of Brazil, in 1938 and SC Germânia of São Paulo, which later becameEC Pinheiros.
Hamburger SC 1888 was founded by students on 1 June 1888. It later had links with a youth team called FC Viktoria 95 and, duringWorld War I, was temporarily known as Viktoria Hamburg 88. SC Germania and Hamburger SC 1888 were among 86 clubs who founded the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB; German Football Association) in Leipzig on 28 January 1900. FC Falke was founded by students inEppendorfon 5 March 1906, but it was never a successful team and played in lower leagues.
The newly formed Hamburger SV contested in the1922 national finalagainst1. FC Nürnberg, who were playing for their third consecutive title. The game was called off on account of darkness after three hours and ten minutes of play, drawn at 2–2.The re-match also went into extra time, and in an era that did not allow for substitutions, that game was called off at 2–2 when Nuremberg were reduced to just seven players (two were injured, two had beensent off) and the referee ruled they could not continue. Considerable wrangling ensued over the decision. The DFB awarded the win to HSV, but urged them to refuse the title in the name of good sportsmanship (which they grudgingly did). Ultimately, the Viktoria trophy was not officially presented that year.
HSV's first success was achieved in the1923 German football championship, when they won the national title againstUnion Oberschöneweide. They lost the title in1924, losing the final to Nuremberg. They lifted the Viktoria again in1928, when they defeatedHertha BSC5–2 at theAltonaer Stadionin the final.
During theThird Reich, HSV had local success in theGauliga Nordmark, also known as the Gauliga Hamburg, winning theleague championshipin 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941 and 1945. At national level the club was unsuccessful, with semi-final losses in1938and1939their best performances in this period. Its main rival in theGauligain those years wasEimsbütteler TV.
HSV's first post-war season was in the newly formedStadtliga Hamburg, and they won its championship in 1946. The club also won the championship of the British occupation zone in 1947 and 1948, the only two seasons this competition was staged.
In May 1950, HSV became the first German team to tour theUnited StatesafterWorld War II, and came away with a 6–0 record.
Playing in theOberliga Nordafter the resumption of league play in post-warWest Germanyin 1947, HSV became a dominant regional club. In 16 seasons from 1947 to 1948 to 1962–63, they won the Oberliga title 15 times, only posting an 11th-place finish in 1953–54. During this period, they scored over 100 goals in each of the 1951, 1955, 1961 and 1962 seasons. In 1953, the club's all-time leading goalscorerUwe Seelerdebuted. In nine seasons, he scored 267 goals in 237 Oberliga matches.
In 1956, HSV reached theDFB-Pokalfinal, but were beaten byKarlsruher SC.This was followed by losses in the finals of the national championship toBorussia Dortmund, in1957, andSchalke 04, in1958.
In1960, HSV became German champions for the first time since 1928, defeating1. FC Köln3–2 in the championship final. Seeler, who scored twice in the final, was namedWest German Footballer of the Year.
As national champions, HSV represented West Germany in the1960–61 European Cup. The club's first ever match in European competition was a 5–0 defeat of Swiss clubYoung BoysinBern,with HSV winning the tie 8–3 on aggregate. In the quarter-finals, they beatEnglish championsBurnleybefore being defeated byBarcelonaat the semi-final stage in a playoff game after the scores were level over two legs. The crowd of 77,600 at theVolksparkstadionfor the first leg against Barcelona remains the record attendance for a HSV home match.
Germany's first professional football league, theBundesliga, was formed, with HSV one of 16 clubs invited to join that first season. Hamburger SV was the only original Bundesliga side to have played continuously in the top flight – without ever having been relegated – from when the league was formed in 1963, until they were relegated in the 2017–18 season, finishing in 17th place. They had shared that special status withEintracht Frankfurtand1. FC Kaiserslauternuntil1996, and with 1. FC Köln until1998. The Bundesliga celebrated its 40th anniversary on 24 August 2004 with a match between "The Dinosaur", as the club has been nicknamed due to its old age, andBayern Munich, the league's most successful side.
In August 1963, HSV defeated Borussia Dortmund 3–0 atHanover'sNiedersachsenstadionto win the club's firstDFB-Pokal.In the same month, the club played its firstBundesligamatch, drawing 1–1 withPreußen Münster.HSV finished the Bundesliga's first season in sixth place, with Uwe Seeler scoring 30 goals to secure theTorjägerkanone.He was also namedFootballer of the Yearfor the second time.The DFB-Pokal victory enabled HSV to play in the1963–64 European Cup Winners' Cup, where they reached the quarter-final, falling toLyon.
In 1967, HSV again reached the final of theDFB-Pokalwhere they were defeated 4–0 by Bayern Munich.HSV, however, were admitted to the following season'sEuropean Cup Winners' Cup, where they lost toMilanin the final.
In 1970, Seeler was namedFootballer of the Yearfor the third time.He retired at the end of the1971–72 seasonin front of 72,000 fans at the Volksparkstadion.He ended his career with 137 goals from 239 Bundesliga matchesand 507 goals from 587 appearances in all competitions.In the same season, HSV played in theUEFA Cupfor the first time, but were knocked out in the first round by Scottish sideSt Johnstone.
In 1973, HSV won thefirst editionof theDFB-Ligapokal, beatingBorussia Mönchengladbach4–0 in the final.A year later, they reached theDFB-Pokalfinal, where they were beaten by Eintracht Frankfurt.In 1976, HSV reached anotherDFB-Pokalfinal, beating 1. FC Kaiserslautern 2–0 to win the trophy for the second time in the club's history.The following year, HSV achieved its first international success with a 2–0 win overAnderlechtin the final of the1976–77 European Cup Winners' Cup.The club then signed English playerKevin KeeganfromEuropean championsLiverpool.After spending much of the previous decade in mid-table, HSV achieved their best Bundesliga position in1974–75by finishing fourth. The club bettered this in1975–76, with a second-place finish. Keegan's first season there saw the club go down to tenth place, however, the player himself was namedEuropean Footballer of the Year.
In 1978,Branko Zebecwas appointedtrainerof HSV.TheYugoslavled the club to its firstBundesliga titlein hisfirst season in charge.Keegan was top scorer fordie Rothosen, and was awarded the Ballon d'Or for a second successive year.
In the1979–80 season, HSV returned to theEuropean Cupfor the first time since1960–61. As had happened 19 years previously, HSV faced Spanish opposition in the semi-finals. After losing the first leg at theSantiago Bernabéu Stadium2–0, HSV beatsix-time winnersReal Madrid5–1 at the Volksparkstadion to qualify for the final.HSV returned toMadridto playNottingham Forestin thefinal, where they were beaten 1–0.In theBundesliga, HSV lost their title by two points, finishing in second place behind champions Bayern Munich.
In December 1980, HSV dismissed Zebec, who had been struggling with adrinking problem.His assistantAleksandar Ristićwas appointedcaretakerfor the remainder of the season and secured a second-place finish in theBundesliga.
In 1981, Austrian coachErnst Happelwas appointed as Zebec's permanent replacement.In hisfirst season, his HSV side regained the Bundesliga title, and reached theUEFA Cupfinal, where they lost 4–0 on aggregate to Sweden'sIFK Göteborg.
Between 16 January 1982 and 29 January 1983, HSV went undefeated in the Bundesliga. The run stretched across 36 games and remained aBundesliga recorduntil November 2013, when it was broken by Bayern Munich.
A third Meisterschale followed at the end of the1982–83 season, with HSV defending their title againstlocal rivalsWerder Bremenongoal difference.The same year, HSV defeatedJuventus1–0inAthensto win the club's first European Cup.
In December 1983, HSV traveled toTokyowhere they facedSouth American championsGrêmioin theIntercontinental Cup. The Brazilian club took home the trophy, with a 93rd minute winning goal.Back home, they lost theleague championshiptoVfB Stuttgarton goal difference.
Both1984–85and1985–86were low seasons for HSV, with the club finishing fifth and seventh respectively. In 1986, midfielderFelix Magath, who had played for the club for ten years and scored the winning goal in the1983 European Cup Final, retired from professional football.
In1986–87, HSV finished second in the Bundesliga and won a fourthDFB-Pokal, beatingStuttgarter Kickers3–1 in the final atWest Berlin'sOlympiastadion.After this success, Ernst Happel left the club to return to Austria. He remains HSV's most successful trainer, with twoBundesliga titles, oneDFB-Pokaland oneEuropean Cup.
In the early 1990s, HSV fell in financial trouble.Thomas Dollwas sold toLaziofor a then record 16 millionDeutsche Marksin June 1991.On the pitch, meanwhile, the team was in decline. After a fifth-place finish in1990–91, HSV finished in the bottom half of the Bundesliga in four consecutive seasons.
In October 1995, Felix Magath returned to HSV to become the club'strainer. The following month, Uwe Seeler also returned as the club president.Under the new regime, HSV finished fifth in theBundesliga, securingEuropean qualificationfor the first time in six years. Thefollowing season, HSV reached the semi-finals of theDFB-Pokal. In May 1997, however, Magath was fired after a 4–0 defeat to 1. FC Köln, with the team one place above the relegation zone.HSV eventually finished in 13th place underreserve teamcoachRalf Schehr.
In 1997, HSV appointedFrank Pagelsdorf, who would coach the team for over four years, making him the longest serving trainer since Ernst Happel. A ninth-place finish in1997–98was followed by seventh in1998–99and third in1999–2000,the team's best performance since1986–87.
On 2 September 2000, the new Volksparkstadion was officially opened asthe national teamplayed its first2002 FIFA World Cupqualifier, againstGreece.
In 2000–01, HSV competed in theUEFA Champions Leaguefor the first time sincethe competition's expansion from the old European Cup.Their first match was a 4–4 draw against Juventus, withTony Yeboahscoring the club's first Champions League goal.HSV failed to qualify for the second round, but managed a 3–1 win over Juventus in the return fixture at theStadio delle Alpi.
In July 2003, HSV won its first trophy in 16 years with a 4–2 defeat of Borussia Dortmund in theDFB-Ligapokalfinal.
In August 2004, HSV lost in the early rounds of theDFB-Pokalby regional league sideSC Paderborn.Referee,Robert Hoyzer, had accepted money from a Croatian gambling syndicate tofix the match, which he did, awarding two penalties to Paderborn and sending off HSV playerÉmile Mpenza.
Another third-place finish in2005–06saw HSV qualify for theChampions Leaguefor the second time.They finished bottom ofGroup G, with a solitary win against Russian clubCSKA Moscow. In the league, the team was in 17th place going into the winter break,having won once in the leagueall season, leading to the dismissal of trainerThomas Doll.Under new coachHuub Stevens, HSV advanced further away from the relegation zone and qualified for theUEFA Cupvia a seventh-place finish and victory in theIntertoto Cup.The following season, Stevens led the team to fourth place in theBundesligabefore leaving to take over atDutch championsPSV Eindhoven.He was replaced byMartin Jol, who took HSV to the semi-finals of both the2008–09 UEFA Cupand the2008–09 DFB-Pokal, both of whichdie Rothosenlost torivalsWerder Bremen.Inthe league, they did not qualify for theChampions Leagueon the final day of the season.In the summer of 2009, after only one season, Jol departed to become coach ofAjax.
Under new coachBruno Labbadia, HSV reached the semi-finals of theUEFA Cup(now renamed theUEFA Europa League) for the second season in a row. However, a defeat in the away leg toFulham, days after the firing of Labbadia,denied the club the opportunity to play in thefinal, which was held at its home stadium.
On 13 October 2011,Thorsten Finkwas appointed as coachwith the team in the relegation zone after losing six of their opening eight matches. In HSV's first nine games under Fink they were unbeaten, going into the winter break in 13th place.The team finishedthe seasonin 15th position, avoiding by five points what would have been its first relegation. In2012–13, HSV recorded a seventh-place finish. Duringthe season, however, the team equaled the club's record Bundesliga defeat, losing 9–2 at theAllianz Arenato Bayern Munich.
Fink was replaced on 25 September 2013 byBert van Marwijk,who in the same season was replaced byMirko Slomkaon 17 February 2014. Under Slomka, the club narrowly avoided its first relegation from the Bundesliga in May 2014, by defeatingGreuther Fürthon theaway goals rulein a play-off.
Hamburg once again changed managers due to a poor start of the season, firingSlomkain 2014. His successorJosef Zinnbauerheld the job until March of said year  and was replaced by interim coachPeter Knäbel, who was eventually replaced by returning Bruno Labbadia, who saved the club at the end of the season in the relegation play-off for the second year running againstKarlsruher SC.Labbadia achieved only two points in the first ten games of the 2016–17 season, and was replaced byMarkus Gisdol, reached 20 points in 9 games from the 19th match day to the 28th match day. On the last match day, Hamburg avoided the relegation play-offs and stayed in the Bundesliga.
In the2017–18 Bundesliga, after a 3–1 defeat in the first round ofDFB-Pokalagainst the third-division teamVfL Osnabrück, HSV had two wins againstFC Augsburgand1. FC Köln. However, eight games followed without a  win. At the end of the first half of the season, HSV was in second last place in the table. After two defeats in the first two games of the second half, coachMarkus Gisdolwas dismissed.HSV hiredBernd Hollerbach, a former player of the club, as a new coach. After seven games without a win and a 6–0 defeat againstBayern Munich, he was also dismissed in 2018. A few days before the game against Bayern, the club announced the dismissal of CEOHeribert Bruchhagen. Frank Wettstein, CFO of the club, was appointed as the new CEO. On the day of his appointment, he dismissed the sports directorJens Todt. The club hired former successful HSV playerThomas von Heesenas a sports consultant until the end of season. For the last eight games in the 2017–18 Bundesliga, the club promoted the coach of Hamburger SV II, Christian Titz. In theRegionalliga Nord(fourth league), his team were the top of the table. With four wins and an offensively minded style of play, the coach convinced the club and received a two-year contract.
After the low season in the2017–18Bundesliga under three different coaches, a final day win overBorussia Mönchengladbachwas not enough to escape relegation afterWolfsburgwon againstKöln4–1.They were relegated to the2. Bundesligafor the first time in the Bundesliga's 55-year history,causing riots by Hamburg supporters.
After the relegationChristian Titzwas sacked in October 2018,and replaced byHannes Wolf. Hamburg did not gain promotion back to the Bundesliga, and failed to reach the playoffs, with a one-point difference between them andUnion Berlin. The team reached the semi-finals of the2018–19 DFB-Pokal, before being defeated byRB Leipzig1–3 at home.
For the2019–20 2. Bundesliga, their second year in the 2. Bundesliga, Wolf was laid-offand was replaced byDieter Hecking. They did not get a return to the Bundesliga by one-point, and they were eliminated in the second round of the2019–20 DFB PokalbyVfb Stuttgart1–2 in extra time.
By again missing promotion, Hecking's contract was not extended.For the2020–21 season,Daniel Thiounewas brought in as the new head coach from league rivalsVfL Osnabrück. The season began with a 1–4 first-round knockout loss in theDFB-Pokalto3. LigaclubDynamo Dresden. Despite this loss, HSV then started the season and won the first 5 games. After a subsequent winless streak of 5 games, 3 of which were lost in a row, the team stabilised again from matchday 11 and went undefeated until the winter break. HSV ended the season as first in the league table.From matchday 20 and onwards, HSV were again winless for 5 games. After 2 wins, another winless series of 5 games followed from matchday 27 and onwards, during which, the club drew againstHannover 963–3.The club also lost to relegation candidatesSV Sandhausen.Due to this development, Thioune was released at the beginning of May 2021, and replaced by the head of academyHorst Hrubeschfor the final three games of the season.At that point, HSV were in third place with 52 points, five points from a spot guaranteeing direct promotion.
In the2021–22 season, HSV reached the promotion playoff spot, finishing third on goal difference overDarmstadt 98. Once again, however, the season ended with HSV losing to Bundesliga's 16th place sideHertha Berlin1–2 in the playoff, losing 0–2 at home, despite winning the first leg inBerlin.In theDFB-Pokal, Hamburg reached the semi-finals, where they lost 1–3 toSC Freiburg.
In the2022–23 season, their fifth season in the 2. Bundesliga, the club had the highest spectator average of any second-division club in Europe.During that season, Hamburger SV were in the top three places since matchday 6, and finished the year 2022 in second place. On the last matchday, HSV played an away match againstSV Sandhausen, where they won 1–0, and asSSV Jahn Regensburgwere leading 2–1 against second-place1. FC Heidenheim, HSV were about to be promoted to Bundesliga. However, during eleven minutes of stoppage time, Heidenheim scored two goals to finish top; hence, Hamburger SV had to play the promotion/relegation play-offs against VfB Stuttgart. They lost both legs, missing promotion to the top division for the fifth year in a row.
In the2023–24 season, HSV spent the majority of the season in the top three, only briefly slipping down to fourth on matchday 19, when they lost 3–4 againstKarlsruher SC.However, following a 1–1 againstGreuther Fürthon matchday 27, they dropped to fourth place, where they remained for the rest of the season.For a sixth time in a row, HSV narrowly missed promotion to the Bundesliga,while the club's rivalsFC St. PauliandHolstein Kielwere both promoted.
Hamburger SV plays its home games in theVolksparkstadion, which was previously known as the Imtech Arena between 2010 and 2015.Built on the site of the original Volksparkstadion, opened in 1953, the current stadium was opened in 2000, and has a capacity of 57,000 – approximately 47,000 seats with another 10,000 spectators standing. The first Volksparkstadion had been a venue for the1974 World CupandUEFA Euro 1988. The Volksparkstadion is aUEFAcategory one stadium, which certifies it to hostUEFA Europa LeagueandUEFA Champions Leaguefinals. The stadium was the site of four group matches and a quarter-final of the2006 World Cup, hosted by Germany, and was known asFIFA World Cup Stadium Hamburgduring the event. It was also the venue for the2010 UEFA Europa League Final.
HSV fans can be buried at a dedicated graveyard near the home stadium, covered in turf from the original Hamburg pitch.
HSV contests theNordderbywith fellowNorthern GermanysideWerder Bremen. In Spring 2009, HSV faced Werder four times in only three weeks, and Werder defeated HSV in the UEFA-Cup semi-final, as well as in the DFB-Pokal semi-final.
Furthermore, HSV shares a cross-town rivalry withFC St. Pauli. When, after seven years in different leagues, the game where HSV played againstFC St. Pauli, there were already disputes between both fan groups several weeks before the game. It started when about 100 HSV fans interrupted a St. Pauli concert because it took place on the "HSV-side" of theReeperbahn. In a league game, the HSV fans showed a banner in the stadium with the inscription "Stellt euch endlich unsrer Gier – 100 Ihr : 100 Wir" ("Finally satisfy our lust – 100 of you vs. 100 of us"). After fans ofFC St. Pauliattacked HSV fans working on a choreography for the game and destroyed parts of it, some HSV fans threatened them by hanging figures in the colours of the rival at several bridges throughout the city. In addition, one day later there was a march of about 80 HSV-Ultras across theReeperbahn, where insulting chants against St. Pauli were screamed. In the hours leading up to first2. BundesligaHamburg Derby on 10 March 2019 at theMillerntor-Stadion, the supporters groups of both teams were escorted by the Hamburg police to avoid conflict.They won with a 4–0 win overFC St. Pauliat theMillerntor-Stadion, the first time HSV had won at the stadium in theSt. Pauliquarter since 1962. In response toBenedikt Pliquett's celebratory kick of HSV's corner flag at theVolksparkstadionin 2011,Tom Mickelmimicked Pliquett with a "Kung-Fu Kick" of his own, according toMOPO.
HSV have an affinity withScottishclubRangers. The link between Rangers and Hamburg dates back to 1977, when the Hamburg Rangers Supporters' Club was set up by HSV fans who had visited Rangers matches before and were thrilled by the atmosphere at Ibrox.The links were further strengthened when Rangers signedJörg Albertzfrom Hamburg.The fans of Rangers also have a fan-friendship with the German club Hamburger SV, dating from the 1970s when Scots moved to the German port in search of work and reinforced by their shared affection for the midfielderJörg Albertz.This link was formalised in February 2021 with the formation of an official club partnership between the two sides.Conversely, St. Pauli has a long-standing friendship withRangers' city rivals,Celtic. The friendship exists due to both the HSV-Rangers affinity and the shared left-wing politics of Celtic and St. Pauli fans.HSV fans provoked Celtic, whose fanbase have historically been sympathetic toIrish republicanism, with a controversialtifowhen they played each other in theEuropa Leaguein 2009. It displayed aUnion Jackbearing the words "No Surrender", a popularUlster loyalistslogan which originated from theNorthern Irishethnoreligious conflict known asthe Troubles.
HSV have a friendship bond withHannover 96due to both being known by the abbreviation "HSV". Their meetings involve the visitors' club song being played, and fans chanting "HSV" from each end of the stadium.
Furthermore, Hamburger SV has a friendship bond withArminia Bielefeld– both teams share the same colours, resulting in the popular fan chant "Schwarz, weiß, blau – Arminia und der HSV" ("Black, white, blue – Arminia and the HSV"). Especially in the 1990s, multiple players transferred between the two clubs.
In addition, some fan groups maintain good contacts with the fourth division teamVfB Lübeck, whose fans also have an aversion to St. Pauli and Holstein Kiel. In 2013, HSV helped the club, which was threatened by insolvency,with a free friendly match, in which the team competed with several national players to attract as many spectators as possible and left the entire earnings forVfB Lübeck.
The bandAbschlach!has written the HSV anthem "Mein Hamburg lieb ich sehr".The band always plays this song before HSV games.
HSV has more than 700 officially registered fan clubs in Germany and abroad. These include "Rautengeil Fallingbostel", "Hermanns Treue Riege", "Totale Offensive e. V." and the "Wilhelmsburg Boys". HSV ultra groups are or were the "Clique du Nord", "Poptown", and "Chosen Few". The "Rothosen" supporters' association founded in April 1972 is the oldest HSV fan club. It still has around 40 members. The business fan club of Hamburger SV was registered by HSV as an official fan club in 2006. This fan club was founded by entrepreneurs and combines sporting interests with business interests. Since the 2006–07 season, the Hamburger Sport-Verein has had a fan club for gay and bisexual fans called "BLUE PRIDE", which merged into the "Volksparkjunxx" in January 2012.The members of fan club "Die Löwen" are aggressive.The group was associated withskinheadsandright-wing radicalismin the 1980s.TheBremenfan Adrian Maleika was murdered by members of the group on 16 October 1982.
As a reaction to the murder of Maleika, the HSV fan project was founded, which still exists today and is financially supported by the German Football League and the Hamburg Authority for Labour, Social Affairs, Family and Integration. The fan project makes travel offers for away games and supports the Supporters Club with its offers. Numerous events take place in the fan house, also with the support of HSV itself.
The Supporters Club, founded in 1993, has (as of 1 June 2019) been joined by 66,489 fans, who have thus also become members of HSV. The 36 founding members include the former board member responsible for membership matters, Oliver Scheel, the former supervisory board members Henning Trolsen and Christian Reichert, and the current director of the HSV Museum, Dirk Mansen.
As a reaction to the spin-off, fans founded the "HFC Falke" – based on the model of FC United of Manchester – which started playing in the 2015–16 season, and as of 2024, are playing in the Hamburg district league north.
The club colours are officially blue, white and black, according to its statute, but its fans use the combination "schwarz-weiss-blau" (black-white-blue) in their songs and chants; they also chant "HSV"[haːʔɛsˈfaʊ̯]. The club crest is a black and white diamond on a blue background. These were the colours of SC Germania. The use of the blue background is a link with Hamburg's maritime tradition as theBlue Peter flagsignal (meaning "All Aboard" or "Outward Bound") is a white rectangle on a similar blue background.
In contrast, the team's home kit is white jerseys and red shorts, which are the colours of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. As a result, the team's most common nickname isdie Rothosen("the Red Shorts"). HSV was previously also known asder Dinosaurier("the Dinosaur"), and used a dinosaur mascot called "Hermann" (named after long-time club physiotherapist Hermann Rieger) for marketing purposes.
HSV's kit was made byAdidasfrom 1978 to 1995and the club re-engaged Adidas in 2007, having worked with a number of its competitors in the meantime. The first shirt sponsorship was introduced in 1974. The following is a list of shirt sponsors by date:
HSV's first participation in European competition came after they won the German championship in 1960 and were invited to take part in the1960–61 European Cup. They had a match in the preliminary round, and their first round opponents wereYoung Boys. HSV won the two-legged tie 8–3 on aggregate, beating the Swiss side 0–5 in the away leg on 2 November 1960, and then drawing 3–3 at home on 27 November.
HSV reached the semi-final of the European Cup in 1961. Subsequently, they have twice played in the final, losing 1–0 toNottingham Forestin 1980 and defeatingJuventus1–0 in 1983. WithBorussia DortmundandBayern Munich, HSV is one of three German teams who have won the European Cup. HSV won theUEFA Cup Winners' Cupin 1976–77, and have been runners-up in both that competition and theUEFA Cup. Their most recent European campaign was the2009–10 UEFA Europa League, in which they reached the semi-final.
Hamburg became, in 1982, the first club in European football to have been runner-up in all three major UEFA club competitions,having lost the1967–68 European Cup Winners' Cup, the1979–80 European Cupand the1981–82 UEFA Cupfinals. Additionally, having lost theEuropean Super Cupfor the first time in the1977 edition, the1983 Intercontinental Cupand in the1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup, they became the first and only club in Europe to have obtained the silver medal in all six confederation competitions.
HSV's biggest win in a European match occurred on 23 October 1974 when they defeated Romanian teamBrașov8–0 in a UEFA Cup second round tie. Their biggest defeat was in the second leg of the 1977 Super Cup when they lost 6–0 toLiverpoolatAnfieldon 6 December.Manfred Kaltzwith 81 has made the most appearances for HSV in Europe andHorst Hrubeschwith 20 is their leading goalscorer.
Based on data published byUEFA, a summary of HSV's European record to the end of the 2021–22 season is as follows:
According to UEFA, HSV is currently unranked among European clubs. The last year that the club had a coefficient was in 2014 when it ranked 64th (34.328).
HSV have the record in German football of having won the most regional titles, having won 31 regional titles.However, the regional titles do not count as a trophy or even as a title itself.Winning a regional title only guaranteed a club to battle, with other regional winning clubs, for the German Championship.
Hamburg's three Bundesliga championships entitle the club to display onegold starof the"Verdiente Meistervereine". Under the current award system, their pre-Bundesliga championships are not recognized, and so they are not entitled to the second star of a five-time champion.
After the replay of the championship final in 1922 had to be abandoned due to the opponents no longer having enough players on the ground, theGerman Football Association(DFB) requested HSV to renounce the title, which the club did.
During his first season with Hamburger SV (2000–01),Sergej Barbarezbecame the top scorer for his club with 22 goals and joint top scorer of the Bundesliga withEbbe Sand.
Until the 2017–18 season, HSV took pride in its status as the only club to have played continuously in the Bundesliga since its foundation. A large clock in the northwest corner of the Volksparkstadion marked the time, down to the second, since the league was founded on 24 August 1963.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
The Futsal section of Hamburger SV competes under the name "HSV Panthers", which emerged from the Hamburg Panthers. They play in the highest German Futsal division, theFutsal Bundesliga.
The team is a founding member of theFutsal Bundesligaof theGerman Football Association. The team has won theDeutsche Futsal Meisterschaftfour times and is therefore German record champion. The HSV Panthers were also represented four times internationally in theUEFA Futsal Champions League, in 2015 they were the first German team to qualify for the elite round. With Michael Meyer, Onur Saglam, Dennis Oztürk, Sid Ziskin, Nico Zankl, and Ian-Prescott Claus, sixGerman futsal nationalplayers play in the ranks of Hamburger SV.
The reserve team serves as the second team for young players before being promoted to the main team.
The women's section was created in 1970. The team played in theBundesligabetween 2003 and 2012.
Theclub's rugby sectionwas established in 1925, but ceased operation in the 1990s. It was re-established in March 2006.The club's men's baseball section, HSV Hamburg, known as the Stealers, was established in 1985, and plays in the first division of theBaseball Bundesliga.Other sections include volleyball andcricket.Okka Rauqualified for the2008 Beijing Olympics of volleyball.HSV Cricket plays in the league of the North German Cricket Federation (Norddeutscher Cricket Verband), winning several first places.