"My second home": HSV player announces departure after 9 years | OneFootball

After nearly a decade, Anssi Suhonen and HSV are parting ways. The Finnish midfielder is joining Danish top-flight club Odense BK.

In January 2017, Suhonen moved from his Finnish hometown club Käpylän Pallo to Hamburg at just 16 years old. At the Alexander-Otto-Akademie, he progressed through all of HSV’s youth teams starting from the U17s. In 2021, he made his debut for the professionals in the 2. Bundesliga. In the years that followed, Suhonen repeatedly struggled with serious injury setbacks and spent loan spells at SSV Jahn Regensburg as well as Swedish top-tier club Östers IF.

Sporting director Claus Costa paid special tribute to the Finn’s journey in his farewell statement: “During his time with us, Anssi developed from a young youth player into an established professional. Unfortunately, he repeatedly struggled with injuries along the way and was rarely able to consistently show his potential over a longer period. After these setbacks, he always fought his way back impressively. Anssi is a player who always gives everything and leaves his heart on the pitch. We will always remember him fondly for that.”

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Suhonen on HSV: “A second home”

In total, the ambidextrous attacking player made 52 competitive appearances for the professionals in the 2. Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, along with appearances for the U21s and twelve call-ups to the Finnish senior national team.

Accordingly, he spoke emotionally about his departure. “HSV has become my second home over the past ten years. Here, I took my first steps in professional football and was able to gain a lot of experience,” Suhonen explained. “I am, of course, especially grateful to the incredible fans, but also to all the coaches, teammates, staff in the youth academy, and the club office. I will always remember my time at HSV as a formative chapter of my career.”

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