Walter has decided: ex-HSV star is Kiel's new captain! | OneFootball

Jonas Meffert will take on a key role at Holstein Kiel in the future. The former HSV promotion hero has been named the new captain by coach Tim Walter.

That means he will lead the Storks onto the pitch wearing the armband in the 2. Bundesliga opener against SV Darmstadt 98 (Saturday, 1:00 p.m.). For Meffert, this role is a special honor. The 31-year-old only returned to the Förde last winter after four and a half years at HSV. He had already played for Holstein between 2018 and 2021. Now he succeeds Steven Skrzybski. He will be supported by Ivan Nekic and Kasper Davidsen as vice-captains.

“To now also be allowed to be captain of this club, which means a great deal to me, is a great honor and makes me incredibly proud,” Meffert said. The midfielder had already worn the armband in several matches during the second half of last season and proved himself as a leader. Remarkably, Tim Walter is now the man on Kiel’s bench—the very coach under whom Meffert once became a key player at the Volkspark. The two even know each other from their first spell together at Holstein.

Photo: IMAGO

Holstein Kiel: Back to success with HSV DNA?

This summer, the northern German contingent received another prominent addition. Sebastian Schonlau, the former HSV captain, also moved to the Baltic coast after his brief stint with the Vancouver Whitecaps. That means three defining figures from Hamburg’s years in the 2. Bundesliga are reunited.

When Schonlau’s transfer became official a few weeks ago, Walter even delivered a real hymn of praise. The center-back had been “one of my most important contacts within the team” in Hamburg and an “absolute leader,” according to the Kiel coach.

New captain Meffert and former captain Schonlau are now expected to help steer Holstein back toward success after relegation from the Bundesliga and a difficult debut season in the second tier. The conditions for that could hardly be more familiar.

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