"St. Pauli a good example" – Effenberg's advice for HSV | OneFootball

Stefan Effenberg is one of the most sought-after TV experts in German football. In an interview, the native of Hamburg spoke about HSV.

However, he never wore the jersey of Hamburger SV or FC St. Pauli. Effenberg went through the youth ranks of Bramfelder SV and Victoria Hamburg before moving to Borussia Mönchengladbach and starting his professional career. Now he observes the Bundesliga for the TV channel Sport1 and regularly analyzes the events of the matchday on Sunday mornings on Doppelpass.

In an interview with the Hamburger Abendblatt, he spoke about HSV, which he sees "on par with three or four other teams." "Unlike in the Second League, they are not superior to anyone." Accordingly, everyone knows that "logically, it's only about avoiding relegation." Effenberg also saw the summer overhaul to form a squad that meets the demands of the Bundesliga as a logical step. Because "intensive runs and sprints are basic requirements."

Nur die Raute – All news about HSV

Effenberg sees the key to staying in the league in defensive work

However, the 2001 Champions League winner sees the crucial point in the relegation battle elsewhere: "Much more important is first to achieve defensive stability, not to fall apart." He recommends HSV to look at the neighboring club: "St. Pauli was a good example last season. They acted unspectacularly going forward, but they didn't have to; the compactness was crucial for their successful survival. That's where HSV needs to start, that will be the key."

Last season, FC St. Pauli scored only 28 goals but had the second-best defense in the league with just 41 goals conceded and was hardly in danger of relegation. They won the recent city derby convincingly with 2-0 at the Volksparkstadion. HSV coped with the defeat and showed improvement in recent matches. In the 0-0 draw against Union Berlin, they also put in a concentrated defensive performance. These performances are needed more frequently to ultimately achieve the big goal of staying in the league.

(Photo: Getty Images)

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