Schonlau on leaving HSV: "Would have loved to stay" | OneFootball

For about three months now, Sebastian Schonlau has no longer been part of HSV. The long-time captain has started a new chapter in the MLS.

In the latest episode of the Abendblatt podcast “HSV – we need to talk”, the 31-year-old spoke more openly than ever about his summer departure. He made it clear how difficult this step was for him. “I would have liked to stay in Hamburg,” Schonlau says bluntly.

Actually, the central defender still had another year under contract with HSV. But right at the start of the preparations, coach Merlin Polzin and the officials made it unmistakably clear to him “that after the promotion to the Bundesliga, he would have a hard time getting playing time.”

The decreasing playing time in the test matches confirmed this feeling. On August 20, Schonlau finally packed his bags and accepted the offer from the Vancouver Whitecaps. A decision that was anything but easy for him. “The time at HSV was incredibly intense, with many highs and lows,” he says in retrospect.

Only the Diamond – All news about HSV

Schonlau also talks about the upcoming HSV opponent

Especially the 2023 relegation against the upcoming opponent VfB Stuttgart (Sunday, 3:30 PM) has been etched into his memory. When Sonny Kittel scored the 1-0 in the second leg, “everyone really believed,” Schonlau recalls. But VfB was “brutally strong” and shattered the Hanseatic promotion dream. For Schonlau, this was followed by a difficult sporting phase with injuries and a dwindling starting position.

Nevertheless, he remained an identification figure until the end and celebrated the long-awaited Bundesliga return in 2025 with full dedication. “The promotion was the best thing that could have happened to me,” he says. That made the farewell a bit easier.

For this reason, his old club remains an absolute matter of the heart. “HSV belongs in the Bundesliga,” says Schonlau. During his next visit to Hamburg, he wants to officially say goodbye to the fans. There is only one thing he rules out for now: a quick return in an official capacity. “I want to play football for a few more years.”

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