Öztunali, Jatta and Co: HSV's strange way of dealing with its players

HSV has a (sad) tradition of high personnel turnover. This was already the case in earlier Bundesliga days—and remains so after their return to the Bundesliga. The squad was completely overhauled in the summer. There's no room left in the team for players once hailed as "saviors," such as Levin Öztunali or former fan favorite Bakery Jatta.

The international break did have one positive aspect for some HSV players who aren't currently internationals and don't play a role in the Hamburg team. They were able to play again in last Thursday's friendly against a better B team from second-division side Hannover 96.

However, none of the players coach Merlin Polzin is planning to use at all or hardly at all anymore were able to make a lasting impression on the training ground in the shadow of the Volksparkstadion in the 3-1 defeat against the Lower Saxony side. In particular, defenders Guilherme Ramos and Silvan Hefti, as well as attacker Jatta, have no prospects in the current configuration, as Polzin recently explained.

Other players, such as Jonas Meffert, who was a regular in the second division, or striker Robert Glatzel, on whose goals the North Germans were dependent for a long time, are currently only second choice.

With a squad now swelled to 30 professionals (including four goalkeepers), it will likely be difficult for Polzin to work in a concentrated manner at times. And the 34-year-old coach is making no secret of the fact that some players will no longer be allowed to participate in all training exercises: "We have clearly communicated our training methodology. Everyone knows what their situation is. It's not fair to talk about individuals again and again," the football coach told "kicker." It seems certain that Polzin will follow his (somewhat cryptic) words with action.

One of his first actions after his promotion from assistant to head coach last season was to send the always reliable defender Moritz Heyer and Levin Öztunali to his own U21 team. Heyer transferred to Fortuna Düsseldorf shortly thereafter, while Öztunali is likely serving out his contract, which runs until the end of the season.

The attacker returned to his hometown from Union Berlin in 2023. As the grandson of club icon Uwe Seeler, his signing was celebrated by many HSV fans as the arrival of a global star. Yet the 29-year-old hadn't played a role at his previous employer. And he largely disappointed in Hamburg, so his demotion to the Regionalliga team was understandable for sporting reasons.

But while such measures are respectfully implemented at many other clubs, allowing the affected player to save face, HSV went back to doing HSV things and silently relegated him to the "talent shed" "until further notice" - and there he still remains.

Potential buyers of the 29-year-old must almost get the impression that the former U21 international has completely forgotten how to play football.

Add to that Öztunali's salary. It's an open secret in the industry that none of the HSV players has to worry about the bailiffs coming to their door because they can no longer pay their rent. Almost regardless of the names of the managers or sports directors at the storied club, the Volkspark has always been about doing things big rather than small.

And if a professional was deemed too light in terms of athletic ability at some point? Then, despite his merits, he was lured away , as was the case with former captain Sebastian Schonlau – and, of course, paid off. Because when HSV does HSV things, a contract termination, including a generous severance package, is usually included.

The list of those who were persuaded to leave Hamburg with financial compensation is long. Hefti, Jatta, and Ramos could be next.

While the transfer window is still open in some countries, such as Portugal, it seems questionable whether HSV will actually be able to further thin out its squad. Experience shows that once a player has been publicly branded as no longer wanted, there aren't many interested parties lining up for him.

And in the case of Hefti (contract until 2028) and Jatta (contract until 2029), it's simply the case that both would likely have to accept significant salary cuts if they were to transfer. According to consistent media reports, Jatta is still entitled to a total salary of almost five million euros until his contract expires.

Former board member Jonas Boldt concluded the "retirement agreement" with the 27-year-old – and was applauded for it at the HSV general meeting in January 2024. This wasn't the only misunderstanding for which Boldt was responsible. The signing of Öztunali, currently arguably the highest-paid fourth-division player in all of Europe, also took place during his tenure.

Even back then, some experts and fans were whispering that the transfer of Seeler's grandson was more folklore than strategy. And that's exactly what happened. And what did HSV do? They did typical HSV things, sending the attacker to the U21s, and thus also destroyed a valuable asset. Because that's all a professional is to a professional club.

It should be noted, however, that the newly promoted Bundesliga club still needs to professionalize its public dealings with its players...