Latest news with #Volksparkstadion
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Hamburg revel in the completion of their long road back to the Bundesliga
The man has clearly had quite a night. His eyes are glazed over and his body is swaying with the rhythm of the train as it rattles back into town. He's also carrying a square of grass as if it's the most important thing he will ever hold. He has it in the palm of his hand, with his fingers splayed, like a waiter delivering a Michelin-starred meal to the table. Advertisement The train carriage is full and each time it pulls into a station, the standing passengers stumble a few strides and knock into one another. The man does, too, but he uses his body to protect the grass and fixes a glare at anyone who looks at it for too long. He need not worry. There are at least a dozen other passengers, some younger, some older, one much older, carrying their own squares of grass, each of them having also been cut from the Volksparkstadion pitch. It's Saturday night and after seven years in the wilderness, Hamburg have been promoted back to the Bundesliga. In the hours before, chaos. Needing a win over lowly Ulm to seal their promotion, Hamburg fell behind to a scruffy set-piece goal. They were level quickly, but survived all sorts of chances and a missed penalty thereafter, before taking a lead that they would never lose late in the first half. Ransford-Yeboah Konigsdorffer made it 2-1 with a gorgeous lob from outside the box and the Volkspark shook with relief. Minutes later, Davie Selke — their masked, warrior forward — thundered a header home at the back post and everyone knew then that it would be a night that nobody forgot. By full-time, Hamburg had scored six. Each time, their goal music throbbed and flares burned in the stands. And when the game was over, fans poured onto the pitch from every side of the ground, and the players allowed themselves to be taken by those waves. Strangers held them aloft and kissed their cheeks. Some just held players tight, closed their eyes, and refused to let go. By the end of the night, stories of people being hurt began to emerge. On Sunday morning, the city's fire department revealed that 25 people were hospitalised, with one person having suffered life-threatening injuries. It was a shocking detail because the mood in the stadium had been wild and uninhibited, but without the suggestion of any issues. Advertisement Red and blue flare smoke rose from the pitch, between flags bearing Hamburg's famous rhomboid crest. There were fans on the roofs of the dugouts and bouncing on the crossbars. At the northern end, the capo led choruses of call-and-response from his cage. Robert Glatzel, the centre-forward, found a microphone and led the whole stadium in chanting Mario Vuskovic's name. Vuskovic is serving a four-year ban after testing positive for EPO in 2022, a ruling which he and the club bitterly contest and which the fans have wholeheartedly rejected. Vuskovic goes to almost every home game. He was there on Saturday, too, down on the pitch and in the arms of supporters. From high up in the press box, it looked like one of the biggest parties the city had ever seen. What a contrast to the mood that had descended upon the Volkspark seven years earlier, almost to the day. Hamburg have become a cautionary tale. They were a founder member of the Bundesliga when it began in 1963 and, until 2018, were the only club to have never been relegated from it. A clock in the Volkspark commemorated the length of that stay and ticked on, season after season, until, after 54 years and 261 days, it came to a stop. At the end of the 2017-18 season, Hamburg needed to beat Borussia Monchengladbach at home to have any chance of avoiding relegation. They also needed Wolfsburg to lose. Hamburg were leading 2-1 late in the second half, but with Wolfsburg beating Koln 4-1, there was no hope and the atmosphere in the stadium turned hostile. Flares were thrown from the Nordtribune, where the club's ultras stand, down onto the pitch. The game was delayed as the penalty box was consumed by dark, acrid smoke, and battalions of police officers were deployed to stare down the fans. Hamburg deserved what happened to them. They had become increasingly dysfunctional throughout the decade, but their six German championships and one European Cup (1983) helped preserve their ego despite their tumble down the table and all sorts of anecdotal evidence. In 2008, a young, up-and-coming coach affronted club officials by turning up to an interview in a pair of jeans, and his candidacy was pompously dismissed. Advertisement The coach's name? Jurgen Klopp. In 2015, a backpack belonging to sporting director Peter Knabel was found in a local park. It was full of sensitive club information and, initially, the discoverer phoned the club and tried to hand it in. Whoever they spoke to seemed less than concerned, though, and the good Samaritan's next call was to Bild, Germany's biggest tabloid. On the pitch, they survived relegation play-offs twice. In the second of those, in 2015, only an 89th-minute free kick from Marcelo Diaz kept them out of the 2. Bundesliga. An extra-time goal was enough to overcome Karlsruhe and earn a reprieve. But by 2018, Hamburg were a punchline and the club's longevity brought them little sympathy around the country. They were seen as arrogant. A bit too puffed up with their own history. When Gladbach fans travelled to the Volkspark for that game at the end of the season, they brought a banner with them mocking the stadium's famous clock. Displayed from the away end in the second half, it showed the 30 minutes Hamburg had left in the division. That mirth felt fair because it was assumed Hamburg would bounce straight back. Speak to fans who were there that day and they will tell you that they welcomed relegation as a relief. It was a moment of closure and the point from which a better, healthier club could perhaps start to grow back — and quickly. Instead, the supporters were about to embark on a harrowing journey through 2. Bundesliga life. A ghost train of sporting humiliation. In a division in which the top two earn promotion automatically and the third-placed team plays off against a team from the division above, they finished fourth in their first three seasons. In years four and five, they made the play-offs. The first time, in 2022, they beat Hertha BSC in the Olympiastadion and brought a 1-0 lead back with them to the Volkspark. But they lost the second leg 2-0. Worse, the architect of that defeat was Felix Magath, a club legend who had scored the goal that won them the 1983 European Cup. Advertisement When the final whistle blew that night and the Hertha players celebrated wildly, Magath didn't join them. Instead, he just walked down the tunnel and out of sight. A year later, they headed to Sandhausen on the final day of the regular season, knowing that if they bettered Heidenheim's result, they would be promoted automatically. They won. Meanwhile, Heidenheim were 2-1 down against Regensburg as their game approached stoppage time. But there were 11 extra minutes added in Regensburg. Worse, the stadium announcer in Sandhausen mistakenly believed that the game was over and congratulated the travelling Hamburg fans on their promotion. They flooded onto the pitch in celebration and continued to chant and drink as Heidenheim scored an equalising penalty and began to lay siege to their opponents' goal. There was no phone reception. Nobody knew what was happening. Hamburg club officials desperately tried to get word to the pitch announcer, but it was too late. Tim Kleindienst scored Heidenheim's winner in the 99th minute, clinching promotion, while the television cameras lingered on the Hamburg fans, still relieved that their Bundesliga exile was over. It was a very dark comedy. When news finally filtered through, the promotion party on Sandhausen's pitch became the world's most despondent picnic, all sad faces and sunburn. Hamburg were the laughing stock. Again. They fell back into the relegation play-off and were dismantled 6-1 on aggregate by Stuttgart. The year after, they finished fourth and never even really teased promotion. They were still the butt of the joke, though, as St. Pauli, their city rivals despite having nothing like the same budget or scale, went up as champions. Every year, it seemed to get harder. Many of the players on the pitch on Saturday night have been through all of these experiences. Ludovit Reis, Daniel Heuer Fernandes, Jonas Meffert, Miro Muheim and Glatzel all played in the play-off against Hertha. Jean-Luc Dompe and Konigsdorffer lived through Sandhausen. Advertisement With each crushing low, the mental baggage has accumulated, leaving many of these HSV players fragile and freighted with neuroses. So much so that it was always going to take something unusual to break the cycle. And this season has been unusual. It has been led by the goals of Selke, who has become an unlikely talisman, and by Merlin Polzin, a 34-year-old coach promoted from the bench after the sacking of Steffen Baumgart in November. Polzin was born in Hamburg, he grew up a fan of the club and used to follow the team home and away. In the days before the game against Ulm, a picture of him circulated in the local press, showing him as a teenager, posing with a HSV flag on a long-forgotten away trip. His family still live in the area. His younger brother still plays for the local club that he did, until a bad injury forced him to stop and pursue a career in coaching. Perfect. Of course, this is how such a chastening experience should end. Despite never having had a full-time head-coach role before, Polzin is smart and credentialed. But the irony escapes nobody: HSV have tried everything to get back to the Bundesliga and appointed five different coaches in their seven years away, often at great expense, and in pursuit of some grand vision. A post shared by Seb Stafford-Bloor (@sebstaffordbloor) In the end, it isn't a name or a personality that has led them back, but just a local boy who used to stand with the ultras in the Nordtribune and who, at the time of promotion, had 99 followers on an Instagram account set to private. Polzin's team wobbled towards the end. The closer promotion got, the more frightened Hamburg seemed to become. They suffered dreadful defeats by Eintracht Braunschweig and Karlsruher in recent weeks and somehow failed to beat a Schalke team who played with 10 men for 87 minutes. The past has stalked them. Reminders of promotions not realised have been everywhere. Advertisement But they made it; they got over the line. It took at least an hour for all the players to get off the pitch. When they did and after they were able to barge their way back into the stadium's catacombs, they began their trek to the top of the Volkspark. It's a staircase that starts in the basement, where the dressing rooms are located, and winds all the way up, past VIP lounges, bars and the media facilities. As they climbed, more people followed. Photographers, fans, even Dino Hermann, the club's giant blue dinosaur mascot, followed as they headed for the balcony on the top floor. Wait for it. — Seb Stafford-Bloor (@SebSB) May 10, 2025 There they sang with the fans, drenched Polzin in beer, and stood proudly above a public who have remained loyal through all these chastening, occasionally humiliating years. The long climb back is over at last. Endlich.
The Sun
11-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Shock pics show horror aftermath of Bundesliga pitch invasion that left 25 in hospital and fan fighting for their life
A PITCH invasion that left 25 people in hospital and one fan fighting for their life has left the grass destroyed. Hamburg sealed promotion to the Bundesliga after beating Ulm 6-1. 6 6 6 6 6 6 Fans got carried away after their final home match of the season and thousands descended on to the pitch. Dramatic footage from the Volksparkstadion stadium shows fans jumping from the stands, toppling advertising boards and sprinting across the pitch. Wild scenes erupted as some climbed onto the players, while others raced toward the dugouts and attempted to enter the dressing rooms before being stopped by police. The result from all the footfall is clear to see, with the grass cut up and badly damaged all over the pitch. Clumps of grass were taken out and held by fans, keen to take a souvenir from a memorable match. Several fans were injured when jumping onto the pitch, while some were hurt in scuffles. A total of 25 supporters taken to hospital, where one is recovering from life-threatening injuries. A total of 44 people received on-site medical treatment. Around 65 firefighters and emergency personnel - backed by a dozen ambulances - swarmed the stadium to deal with the fallout. The Hamburg fire department confirmed they initiated a full-scale emergency response at the scene, as scenes of joy turned to panic. Hamburg's victory capped a dramatic end to their seven-year stay in Germany's second division. It comes after Harry Kane got drenched in beer during a live TV interview after winning the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. The England captain, 31, celebrated on the Allianz Arena pitch with wife Kate and kids Ivy, Vivienne and Louis as he finally got his hands on his first trophy. Bayern clinched the Bundesliga title six days earlier without kicking a ball as Bayer Leverkusen drew with Freiburg.
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Hamburg pitch invasion hospitalises 25 fans
Twenty-five fans were hospitalised, including one with life-threatening injuries, after a pitch invasion at Hamburg's Volksparkstadion on rushed the field at the full-time whistle as Hamburg secured promotion to the Bundesliga with a 6-1 victory over Ulm, but celebrations were cut short for many who were hurt during the pitch invasion. According to a statement from the Hamburg fire department, a total of 44 people received medical treatment, 19 of those were serious injuries, five were minor and one has been categorised as life-threatening."After the final whistle, football fans stormed the stadium, resulting in injuries to several fans," the statement said."The Hamburg Fire Department launched a major emergency medical response to support the emergency services on site."The statement added that around 65 emergency personnel had to be deployed from both the Hamburg rescue service and fire brigade because of the for Hamburg earned them promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time since suffering relegation in they match or better Cologne's result on the final day next Sunday, they will also be crowned champions.
New York Times
11-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Hamburg's promotion pitch invasion sees 25 hospitalised, one with ‘life-threatening injuries'
A 'major emergency medical response' had to be deployed after Hamburg's promotion to the Bundesliga was confirmed following their 6-1 home win over Ulm on Saturday. Thousands of fans rushed onto the pitch at the full-time whistle, resulting in injuries to several, the Hamburg Fire Department confirmed in a statement. Advertisement The Hamburg Fire Department said 25 people had been taken to local hospitals, five with minor injuries, 19 with serious injuries and one with life-threatening injuries. A total of 44 individuals had received treatment with 65 medical and emergency personnel deployed to Hamburg's Volksparkstadion, the statement added. 'After the final whistle, football fans stormed the stadium, resulting in injuries to several fans. The Hamburg Fire Department launched a major emergency medical response to support the emergency services on site,' the statement said. 'Since then, 44 patients have received medical treatment. Five with minor injuries, 19 with serious injuries, and one with life-threatening injuries were transported to nearby hospitals.' The victory over Ulm confirmed Hamburg's promotion back to the German top flight with one game remaining. They are one point ahead of second-placed Koln and four ahead of third-placed Elversberg. Hamburg will win the title if they better or equal Koln's result on the final day next Sunday. Hamburg had never been relegated to the 2. Bundesliga before their demotion in 2017-18 and a series of third- and fourth-placed finishes in the six seasons since has seen them remain in the second tier. Hamburg sacked Steffen Baumgart in November after five wins, four draws and three defeats to begin the season. Now led by Merlin Polzin, who took over from Baumgart, Hamburg have only lost three times under the 34-year-old and have won the joint-most points since. From Sebastian Stafford-Bloor at Volksparkstadion Before full-time, the pitch announcer asked the fans to stay off the pitch, but that was never likely to happen. Pitch invasions in celebration are as common in Germany as they are anywhere else, and that in itself was not a reason for concern. As soon as the game ended, fans poured onto the pitch from every side of the stadium, but it was relatively gentle and it took several minutes for the entire pitch to be covered. It wasn't obvious that anyone had been hurt. Seven years later. Hamburg are up. — Seb Stafford-Bloor (@SebSB) May 10, 2025 A lot of the players were down on the pitch celebrating with the supporters. Some fans let off flares and were flying flags. Others were digging pieces of turf from the pitch. A group managed to climb on top of the crossbar of the goal at the foot of the Nordtribune. It collapsed, but nobody in the area showed any alarm. Advertisement There was a police presence around the tunnel. Everything was good-natured, but officers had to cordon off an area to allow some of the players to get back into the dressing room. Some fans were in conversation with the police, but seemed to be respecting what they were being told to do and there were no outward signs of aggression — no pushing or shoving. The press position at the Volkspark is high, meaning that members of the media were quite far away, but everything I saw was good-natured. The celebrations continued for a long time. About 90 minutes after full-time, the players went to the top of the stadium to lead chants; it was a very typical promotion party. When I left the stadium, I heard sirens and could see emergency services approaching the area, but that isn't particularly unusual at the Volkspark. The stadium holds 57,000 people and sells out for every game, and the police are often involved in crowd control or dealing with smaller issues. It seemed more likely at the time that extra resources were being deployed to disperse the crowd.
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
German fans STORM field in mass pitch-invasion with 'at least 25 hospitalised' after fall giants secure Bundesliga return after seven years
A pitch invasion to celebrate a German fallen giant's return to the Bundesliga has seen at least 25 people rushed to hospital, according to reports. Hamburg's stay in the 2nd Bundesliga in Germany has come to an end after a blistering 6-1 thrashing of SSV Ulm at the Volksparkstadion, taking them four points clear of third with a game to play. Naturally, the momentous occasion was met with jubilation from the fans, who stormed the field to celebrate their return to the upper echelons of German football. But joy quickly turned to chaos, with the mass pitch invasion leaving many injured, and a major rescue operation was reportedly launched. According to German outlet Berliner Tageszeitung, one person was left with 'life-threatening' injuries, 19 were seriously harmed and a further five supporters had sustained minor injuries. Footage from the ground shows fans jumping from the stands, mounting advertising hoardings and sprinting across the field towards the players. Seven years later. Hamburg are up. — Seb Stafford-Bloor (@SebSB) May 10, 2025 Crossbar down in Hamburg 😮 Wild scenes at the Volksparkstadion, as Hamburger SV fans celebrate the club's return to the top flight after seven long years out of the Bundesliga. #nurderHSV #Aufstieg2025 — Ultras Clips (@ultras_clips) May 11, 2025 A fire department spokesperson has also reportedly added that several fans were hurt leaping from the stands. A total of 44 people are thought to have received on-site medical treatment, with around 65 firefighters and emergency responders on the scene. Reports from BlueWin also claim that some frenzied supporters even tried to make it into the dressing rooms, but were stopped by police. The 1983 European Cup winners, once nicknamed the Bundesliga 'dinosaurs' for having been in the top division for the longest uninterrupted spell since the league's creation in 1963, suffered a shock first ever relegation in 2018. They then repeatedly missed chances to go back up, losing key matches in the final stretches of previous seasons, but they would not be denied promotion this time. Ulm stunned the hosts with a seventh minute lead through Tom Gaal but Hamburg bounced back just three minutes later to level with Ludovit Reis. Ulm then saw Semir Telalovic' 36th minute penalty saved by Hamburg keeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes before the hosts struck twice late in the first half through Ransford-Yeboah Koenigsdoerffer's superb chip and Davie Selke's 22nd league goal to earn a commanding lead. They picked up where they left off and made it 4-1 thanks to Philipp Strompf's own goal in the 49th before Konigsdorffer bagged his second with a solo effort and low drive from the edge of the box. Daniel Efadli made it half a dozen in the 86th as fans gathered around the pitch to storm it on the final whistle. With one game remaining, Hamburg are top on 59 points, with Cologne second on 58 and Elversberg third on 55.
