Newly promoted Bundesliga outfit Hamburger SV are riding high after collecting back-to-back home Bundesliga victories. Merlin Polzin’s HSV followed up last week’s massive home upset over Stuttgart with an enthralling comeback victory over visiting Werder Bremen in the “battle of the Hanseatic city states”. Hamburg head coach Merlin Polzin acknowledged the role of the fans in the “Nordderby” triumph whilst speaking at the post-match press conference. 

Just as was the case for their cross-city rivals St. Pauli ahead of a crucial Bundesliga fixture last March, HSV players were greeted directly by club supporters as their bus pulled into the stadium. The HSV ultras never let up over the course of the entire match, furnishing a fabulous atmosphere with choreos, tifos, pyro displays and chants. Polzin thanked the fans directly for all they did for the team. 

Hamburg fans provide support throughout

“What happened after the game is unlike anything I’ve seen before,” Polzin said. “I can definitely confirm that it really helped us to experience such moments. Things like the posters [displayed upon our arrival] gave us that extra push. We’re always looking to spark enthusiasm and we have a direct conduit to the fans and our fan-scene.

“We thought about a way to ignite that extra three to four percent of passion,” Polzin continued. “And we decided to walk the rest of the way to the stadium. On the bus, with the lads all listening to music on their headphones, one can’t exactly see and feel the energy. Now that we’ve won the match, I’ll simply say that it helped us.

“Thanks again to all of those who made these special moments possible,” Polzin concluded. “From the moment the bus arrived onward.“