Claus Costa has been director of football at second-division club Hamburger SV for a fortnight. The former professional of VfL Bochum and Fortuna Düsseldorf spoke about this in a media round.

Claus Costa is working “medium-term and strategically” in his new role as director of professional football at second-division club Hamburger SV. The 38-year-old said this at a media round in the Volksparkstadion on Tuesday. For the former chief scout, it is about ensuring that the club is prepared for all scenarios and any league affiliation in the best possible way, and that they can then fall back on “acquired and well-founded” knowledge.

Costa started his new job at HSV on 14 March. However, it was not a jump into cold water, but rather a “gradual transition”. After the separation from former sports director Michael Mutzel in July last year, he had already taken over parts of the tasks. Whereas he had previously acted as a “service provider with recommendations for action” as chief scout, he has now moved to the front row in handling and negotiating transfers.

Currently, the former midfielder is taking part in the certificate course “Management in Professional Football” of the German Football Association (DFB) and the German Football League (DFL). The course, which also includes Hansa Rostock’s sports director Martin Pieckenhagen, is in its “final stages”.

As director of professional football, Costa will not follow every HSV game live. On Friday, however, he will accompany coach Tim Walter’s team to the away match in Düsseldorf (6.30 pm/Sky). He had his “most successful time as a player” at Fortuna. He described the promotion to the second division after the 2008/09 season as the highlight of his time on the Rhine.

In 2011, Costa left Düsseldorf for Osnabrück and ended his football career in 2016 with Viktoria Köln, where he stayed for one season as co-coach. After two years as a scout for Bayer Leverkusen, he moved to Hamburger SV in 2019.

However, Costa took his first footballing steps in the Ruhr region and wore the jersey of VfL Bochum for eight years. In 1998, the 38-year-old came to Castroper Straße from Borussia Dortmund’s youth team, played for the U19s, the second team and finally one year for the professionals.