Capaldo hits the sore spot: where HSV must improve | OneFootball

Nicolás Capaldo knows exactly where HSV still has room for improvement next season. The Argentine is making no secret of his assessment: Hamburg especially need to step up away from home.

“We need better results in away matches. That’s an important point,” the 27-year-old recently made clear in an interview with Mopo. A look at last season shows he has a point. In the away table, HSV finished only 14th, while the Rothosen at least came 10th in front of their home crowd. Their first away win did not come until Matchday 21, with a 2–0 victory in Heidenheim. In the entire first half of the season, the team failed to win a single away game.

For Capaldo, the key to better results also lies in a different mindset. “If we show the motivation and mentality we displayed against the top teams every weekend in the new season, then a lot is possible,” explained the vice-captain. HSV must stay focused: “It will still only be about the next game. We can only think about the coming weekend.”

Capaldo wants to “take HSV’s talents to the next level”

Capaldo is currently experiencing every day in training how that mentality is supposed to develop. Intensity is the big buzzword in HSV’s pre-season preparations, and for the defensive all-rounder it is nothing new anyway. “My career has always been about intensity. I like that word,” he said. Even as the legs grow heavier during pre-season, you have to “get through these moments in order to become more intense and reach our top level for the season.”

Photo: IMAGO

Capaldo is also demanding a lot from the many young talents in the squad. For him, tough challenges are never personal, but are meant to make the team better. “For the young players, it is important to feel what can happen on matchday,” he made clear.

Capaldo himself wants to lead the way as an “emotional leader.” He says things directly when something is not right and wants to “take his teammates to the next level.” That is exactly the energy HSV must bring onto the pitch away from home in the future as well. Because if Capaldo has his way, that is where the biggest key to a better season lies.

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