Official | Hamburg welcome Luka Vuskovic with elder brother Mario’s No. 44 tricot | OneFootball

After weeks of protracted negotiations, Hamburg have finally managed to secure Croatian defender Luka Vuskovic on loan. The 18-year-old will feature in the Bundesliga this season. At Vuskovic’s official unveiling on Friday, Hamburg revealed that Luka will don the No. 44 tricot of his elder brother Mario.

Hamburg’s support of Mario since the now 23-year-old’s controversial doping ban remains steadfast. In statements accompanying the signing, HSV officials and the player himself took care to make specific reference to the gesture.

“He has already developed a close bond with the club and the city through Mario,” HSV board-member-for-sport Stefan Kuntz noted. “We want to build on that. With all his talent, it will be important for us to offer him an environment in which he can develop optimally.”

“He is an excellent fit for our team in both a sporting and personal sense” HSV sporting director Claus Costa added.“Luka brings with him an exceptional overall package for his age. We want to give him space to develop here and support him as he takes the next step in his career.“

“It’s something special for me to play for HSV,” the new signing said in his own statement. “My brother played here and told me a lot about the club. There’s also the club’s history and the environment here. I’m very happy.”

GGFN | Peter Weis