"Not dino-youth friendly": HSV mascot goes viral online! | OneFootball

The HSV women’s team qualified for the DFB Cup quarterfinals against Bayer Leverkusen in a penalty shootout. Mascot Dino Hermann also played his part in the victory.

This cup night is sure to be a topic of conversation for a long time. And that’s not just because of the sensational entry of the HSV women into the quarterfinals. The main character in perhaps the quirkiest scene: Dino Hermann, Hamburg’s iconic mascot, who caused laughter nationwide with a completely unexpected performance and went viral online.

In the surprise victory over Bayer Leverkusen (5:3 on penalties), it was the XXL dino costume that became the secret penalty hero. After 120 intense minutes, the score was 1:1, and the duel had to be decided by penalties. That’s exactly when Dino Hermann stepped in. Positioned at the north stand, where most of the roughly 4,000 fans had gathered, the blue dino tried to distract the Leverkusen penalty takers.

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What followed was aptly described by commentator Daniel Koeberer: “Not exactly dino-safe-for-work, what’s happening there.” First, Hermann demonstratively presented his plush backside to the first penalty taker, Kristin Kögel. Her shot went in anyway.

But the dino wasn’t done: Before Julia Mickenhagen’s attempt, he waddled up the stairs behind the goal, wiggled his oversized belly, and finally lifted his jersey. Underneath was a bare, bright red plush chest. Much to the delight of the spectators, less so for the Leverkusen player: her shot was weak, HSV keeper Larissa Haidner saved it effortlessly.

In the end, the dino show became part of a true cup sensation: since all HSV penalty takers scored and Bayer missed twice, the Hanseatic women celebrated their entry into the quarterfinals.

But will there be wild consequences for the wild mascot? Will Hermann perhaps have to report to the club’s HR department on Monday? That’s unlikely. On the contrary: HSV board member Eric Huwer even publicly celebrated the stunt, commenting on Instagram briefly but clearly: “We love it.”

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