Thanks to Ted Lasso: how HSV pulled off survival! | OneFootball

As early as two weeks before the end of the season, HSV were able to celebrate securing their Bundesliga status. The hit series “Ted Lasso” also played a special role in that.

As the club has now revealed publicly, a small aquarium stood in the HSV dressing room in recent months. The idea behind it was inspired by the famous “Be a Goldfish” motto from the series. Loic Favé (via Bild) explained the approach as follows: “In the series, Ted Lasso asks a player what the happiest animal is — a goldfish, because it quickly forgets everything again.” That was exactly the way of thinking they wanted to transfer to the team. “This mindset of always being in the moment and not thinking about what was or what will come was our guiding idea,” said the assistant coach.

The message apparently got through. After a spell of six straight winless games, HSV finally took the decisive step toward safety with a 2–1 win in Frankfurt. A week later, they followed it up with another victory against SC Freiburg (3–2) and an emotional farewell to their own fans. After the final whistle, the team and coaching staff went on a lap of honor through the entire stadium.

Photo: Getty Images

HSV set up an “Identity Wall”

But the aquarium was far from the only measure. For the second half of the season, HSV also installed a so-called “Identity Wall” in the analysis room. There, team members shared personal photos and stories from their private lives. For Polzin, it was an important step in bringing the squad closer together. “For us as a coaching staff, it is very important not to see only the footballer, but the person and the story behind him,” explained the 35-year-old.

Nur die Raute – by HSV fans for HSV fans

Some very emotional moments reportedly came out of it. “The guys who wanted to take part gave very intimate insights,” Polzin said. This openness in particular seems to have bonded HSV together even in difficult phases. The result is survival achieved both early and fully deservedly.

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