“I’d have picked him too” – Poulsen on losing the captaincy | OneFootball

HSV answered the captaincy question yesterday, Saturday. Nicolai Remberg will take on the role in the new season. 

He already led the Hanseatic side onto the pitch on Saturday for the season opener against Everton, but he could not prevent the unfortunate 2-1 defeat. The defensive midfielder succeeds Yussuf Poulsen, who was appointed captain immediately after joining from Leipzig last summer. Because of numerous injuries, he made only 16 competitive appearances — just one of them in the starting lineup — and was therefore only able to fulfill the role to a limited extent.

Even so, Poulsen, who always has an open ear for every player, is highly respected within the team. However, he was not chosen as Remberg’s deputy. Instead, Merlin Polzin’s coaching staff opted for Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nicolás Capaldo, who already served as vice-captain last season and, given Poulsen’s regular absences, took on the main role in more than half of the league matches.

Photo: Getty Images

Poulsen is set to support Remberg’s successor

Asked about the captaincy decision, the Dane had plenty of praise for his successor (via Bild): “I’m glad Rambo has the armband. As a leader and captain, he is HSV’s future. If I were the coach, I would have chosen him too.” Poulsen said he had discussed the decision at length with Polzin. “I think it’s the right one,” he concluded briefly.

Even without the captain’s armband, the striker will continue to play a leadership role at HSV. In the current squad, he has by far the most Bundesliga appearances, something Polzin is also well aware of. Poulsen helps Remberg, Lokonga, and Capaldo, as well as the entire team, “with his incredible international experience,” he emphasized in the club statement.

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The coaching staff’s decision — which at first glance could be seen as a demotion — is unlikely to have left any mark on the veteran. Against Everton, he barely threatened around the opposing goal, but he still delivered an energetic performance. On top of that, Poulsen played his first full half of the current preseason. The next step in the carefully managed increase in workload, undertaken in consultation with the medical staff, is intended to ensure that Poulsen — whose contract expires at the end of the season — has a much greater impact on the pitch in the future.

Photo: IMAGO

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