The countdown is running. Another eight days, then the biggest game that the 2nd division has ever seen will take place. And that right at the start of the season.
The HSV on Schalke. How many hits is there in the duel between the traditional clubs?
► Schalke 04: Seven times champion, 155,000 members. Only Bayern Munich (293,000) has more.
► The HSV: Six championship titles, 85,000 members.
But there are no points for this force on July 23rd …
► Frame: At Schalke Sports director Peter Knäbel (54, formerly HSV) and sports director Rouven Schröder (45) after relegation (of necessity) for the total change. 19 departures (including Serdar for 8 million to Hertha) are fixed. At least seven (including Nastasic, Harit, Kabak) should follow.
The bosses are under pressure. Matija Nastasic (28), for example, also collects 30,000 euros per point in the second division. His annual fee would settle at around five million euros. If there are players who earn in the order of magnitude, the targeted salary budget of 22 million would not be sustainable.
In the Bundesliga, Schalke had rewarded his team with around 80 million …
The subject of “thick contracts from the first division” has been dealt with at HSV with the departure of Bobby Wood (28, now Real Salt Lake). The US striker also conceded 2 million in League 2.
Before the fourth season of the second division, the transfer movements of Hamburg have adapted to the lower house. Eight departures (including Hunt, Terodde, Ulreich) have so far been compared to six new ones. Most of the money went to Robert Glatzel (27, Cardiff City). For the striker, the Hamburger put down 1 million transfer. Bonus payments can be added.
► Form: Tim Walter (45) is slowly getting his troop together. On Tuesday, the new coach was able to practice “eleven against eleven” for the first time in preparation. A starting eleven is not yet in sight. Glatzel and Amadou Onana (19) are only back after their corona illnesses. Others with injuries missed large parts of the preparation (Kittel, Vagnoman, Dudziak, Muheim, Heuer Fernandes) or came late (Kaufmann).
Schalke impressed in the tests against Russian champions St. Petersburg (0-0) and Ukraine runner-up Donetsk (0-0) with a stable defense. Coach Dimitrios Grammozis (43), formerly a professional at HSV, has his starting eleven largely complete.
With new captain Danny Latza (31, from Mainz), the ex-Darmstadt-born Victor Palsson (30) and Terodde, three entrants are at the top of the hierarchy.
► The finishing touch: Knäbel and Schröder are looking for a creative, central midfielder and an inside defender. Ozan Kabak (21, rumored to move to Leicester) is about to take off.
HSV is also still looking for reinforcements. A goalkeeper (just after the Mickel injury) and an attacking wing would help.
It is quite possible that more will happen. There are some activities around Onana (contract until 2024), most recently captain of the Belgian U21s. In the event of a transfer in the order of eight to ten million euros, HSV would be ready to talk. In the event of a sale, the Hamburg-based company would probably upgrade again.
It is also still unclear who will wear the captain’s armband in the future. The previous captain, Tim Leibold (27), is a hot candidate.
The countdown is running…
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