Meffert on his departure: "HSV no longer saw me in their long-term plans" | OneFootball

Jonas Meffert left HSV at the beginning of the year to join Holstein Kiel. He explained his surprisingly swift departure in an interview.

Despite his limited playing time, a winter transfer did not initially seem likely. Rumors only began to circulate after the last competitive match of 2025. Originally, Meffert had intended to see out his contract, which was set to expire on June 30. “But then Kiel contacted me and I said that I could basically imagine it, but that I first needed to talk to my girlfriend and my advisor,” he reported in his interview with the Hamburger Abendblatt.

The central midfielder took a few days to make his decision before resolving to return to Schleswig-Holstein. “It quickly became clear that Kiel really wanted me. Then Stefan Kuntz signaled that HSV was no longer planning with me long-term. For me, it was mainly about the perspective beyond the summer,” explained Meffert, who had already worn the Storks jersey between 2018 and 2021.

Meffert raves about Vuskovic: “He belongs somewhere completely different”

The farewell was not easy: “I also spoke with other players who have left HSV. They found it hard as well. That’s normal after such a long time.” Altogether, the 31-year-old spent four and a half years in Hamburg, crowned by promotion last summer. This led to a major upheaval. “Since many players from that time had already left in the summer, the farewell was a bit easier for me,” said Meffert.

Sportingly, he lost significant influence after the return to the Bundesliga, making only 144 minutes of appearances. Nevertheless, the approach taken by those responsible, including former sporting director Kuntz, was “definitely not wrong.” “The team had a tough start in the Bundesliga, but has improved significantly,” said Meffert.

Nur die Raute – All the news about HSV

He is firmly convinced that the team will stay up, given the quality of his former teammates: “The team has two players in Luka Vuskovic and Fabio Vieira who really belong in the Champions League. Sambi Lokonga comes from Arsenal FC. With players like that, it would be almost an understatement to have mere survival as the goal. Especially with Vuskovic, who really belongs somewhere completely different.”

Accordingly, HSV “can get something anywhere, except maybe in Munich.” In the 15 matches so far, this theory has been confirmed, especially in the home games. Even Borussia Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart stumbled at the Volkspark. Meffert will be following the action from his television in the future: “I’m already looking forward to seeing the guys like Bakery Jatta or Bobby Glatzel. I hope Bobby scores a goal right away when he plays. They’re still my boys.” He himself will be working with Holstein Kiel to quickly escape the relegation battle in the second division.

Photo: Getty Images

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