Tangvik breathing down his neck: Heuer Fernandes on HSV duel | OneFootball

Daniel Heuer Fernandes is heading into the new Bundesliga season full of confidence. His performances last season were simply too strong.

However, the 33-year-old has had an ambitious challenger in Sander Tangvik for several months now. The Norwegian, who joined HSV in the winter, is considered a major talent and is expected to put pressure on Heuer Fernandes. In the season finale against Bayer Leverkusen (1:1), Tangvik was already given a start and showed all of his ability.

The experienced goalkeeper, however, feels no fear of competition. On the contrary: for him, a balanced battle for the goalkeeper spot is an important factor. “We need competition from good goalkeepers,” Heuer Fernandes told Bild. “But ultimately, the question is not how good my competitor is, but what I demand of myself. I want to perform, help the team, and provide stability.”

Photo: IMAGO

“HSV always came first”

After a strong previous season, in which he played a key role in HSV avoiding relegation, Heuer Fernandes wants to maintain that level in the club’s second year back in the Bundesliga. The renewed competition changes nothing about that. In any case, the German-Portuguese is an expert in this area. Since joining from Darmstadt in 2019, he has held on to the No. 1 spot at HSV ahead of, among others, Matheo Raab and Daniel Peretz.

That is also why there was never any real doubt that the goalkeeper would extend his contract early until 2028. “HSV always came first. But the team’s performance in the season that was still ongoing was the most important thing for me at first. I didn’t want to deal with other matters beforehand. My view was: first football, and only then the ongoing contract talks,” Heuer Fernandes explained.

But the goalkeeper is heading into the season with plenty of momentum not only on the pitch, but also in his personal life. He recently became a father for the second time. “You’re certainly not a better goalkeeper just because you’re a dad of two, but mentally it prepares you well for the job,” he said optimistically. So HSV fans may well be able to look forward to an even better Heuer Fernandes in the coming campaign.

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