“Never loved football”: Völler apologises to ex-HSV star! | OneFootball

A remarkable scene unfolded at the end of May during a meeting of former national team players in Frankfurt. There, Rudi Völler and Marcell Jansen reached a belated reconciliation. It was about a comment that had followed the former HSV star for years.

Jansen, who is now only connected to HSV as a fan and lifelong member, spoke of an unexpected gesture by the DFB director. “Rudi Völler took the floor in front of the larger group and apologized to me,” the former international told Bild.

The background was comments made in 2015, after Jansen had already ended his professional career at the age of 29. At the time, Völler had said on television that Jansen had probably “never loved” football. The remark sparked major debate back then and is still regarded in fan circles as a well-known meme today.

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Jansen is convinced by HSV’s new direction

For Jansen, however, the matter has long been settled. “By the way, the apology really wasn’t necessary. He didn’t have to say that,” the 40-year-old emphasized. Instead, he had nothing but positive words for the former world champion. “Rudi is simply a great guy who never meant that comment in a bad way.”

In fact, Jansen did retire from professional football early, but he certainly did not turn his back on the sport completely. After ending his career, he still played numerous matches at amateur level for HSV’s third team.

He also continues to follow the Rothosen’s professional team closely. The former long-serving president is optimistic about the future of his old club. He said the club is financially healthy, back in the Bundesliga, and has a promising outlook. Despite the major squad overhaul, Jansen is convinced that Hamburg will once again put together a competitive team.

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