Kuntz calls for patience with HSV rebuild: "It won't happen overnight" | OneFootball

Behind HSV lies an extremely bumpy pre-season preparation. In view of the numerous changes, Stefan Kuntz, however, urges calm.

After seven years of absence, Hamburger SV's Bundesliga comeback is only a week and a half away. But the start of the new chapter has been bumpy so far: Five consecutive test match defeats against some notable opponents like Olympique Lyon (0:4) or SC Freiburg (1:5) have dampened the euphoria a bit. It is clearly evident that the squad, strengthened with a total of nine new signings, has not yet come together.

Sports director Stefan Kuntz is aware of this. "It is difficult to predict when the settling-in phase will be completed," explained the 1996 European champion recently in Sport Bild. The massive upheaval following the promotion has inevitably led to a lack of automatisms in all parts of the team.

Kuntz therefore urges patience. "The upheaval doesn't happen overnight, the interim goals for the start also arise from short-term circumstances," the 62-year-old continued. Coach Merlin Polzin, who, like his entire team, recently signed a contract extension until 2027, enjoys his full confidence. The botched preparation so far does not change that.

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New leadership axis? Kuntz: "Don't expect too much yet"

That the Rothosen still lack a leadership axis after the departures of key players like Davie Selke, Ludovit Reis, or Tom Mickel does not surprise Kuntz either. "In the beginning, hierarchy is established through performance, then through contributing off the field. Everything is still fresh on this topic, and you can't expect too much yet," he emphasized.

The hope for a first positive impulse now lies in the upcoming competitive match debut. On Saturday (1 PM), HSV will visit the Oberliga team FK Pirmasens in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. A confident victory in the Palatinate could not only boost self-confidence but also accelerate the settling-in process that Kuntz is currently trying to moderate.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.