On Sunday (13 August, 1 p.m., Forecasting-Liveticker), Hamburger SV plays host to Rot-Weiss Essen in the DFB Cup. For Horst Hrubesch, this is a very special game.
Horst Hrubesch’s great career might have been quite different if the striker had not switched to Rot-Weiss Essen in 1975.
In his early 20s, he was still sweating on house roofs full-time to cover them. It wasn’t until he was 24 that the Hammer native got his big opportunity at Hafenstraße. And the former “header monster” made exemplary use of it: 48 games, 38 goals, that is Hrubesch’s record in the RWE jersey.
The 72-year-old later became a legend at Hamburger SV. In 159 matches, Hrubesch scored a whopping 96 goals for the Redosen. He currently holds the position of “Director of Development” at the second-division club.
Before HSV’s 1st round DFB Cup tie with RWE, Hrubesch spoke to the Hamburg club media about this very special encounter for him.
Football in Essen lives on mentality. They’ll put everything they’ve got into it and try to take the crowd with them. For us, it’s a matter of holding our own to the maximum and ultimately bringing our own playmaking class onto the pitch to turn the game to our side.
Horst Hrubesch
Hrubesch told “hsv.de”: “Rot-Weiss Essen is the club where everything began for me. For me, this chapter was one of the most important in my active career because everything else built on it. This will definitely be a special game for me. There are simply two hearts beating in my chest.”
But it’s also clear that he’ll end up sticking with HSV. After all, the European champion (1980), European Cup winner of the national champions (1983) and three-time German champion (1979, 1982 and 1983) still works for HSV today.
“It’s a meeting of two special clubs that have a great history and enjoy great status in their respective cities. Essen is a totally football-mad city that in principle deserves first or second division football. I hope that Rot-Weiss will be able to confirm their performances from the previous season in the 3rd league, have nothing to do with relegation and take the next step. So I’m keeping my fingers crossed for them, even though on Sunday I naturally hope that we advance one round,” explains Hrubesch.
In any case, the former U21 national team coach warns his HSV against going to Hafenstraße in Essen. Even though he stresses that it would probably be much hotter for HSV once again in the venerable Georg Melches Stadium. Hrubesch: “The old stadium would have been absolute hell for us in that respect. (laughs) Compared to the past, the new stadium perhaps has the disadvantage that the corners are open, which means that the volume and atmosphere are lost. Nevertheless, there is no question that the spectators will really get into the mood and loudly whip Rot-Weiss forward.”
Essen as a third-division team against second-division Hamburg: How does Hrubesch see the sporting conditions before this duel? He answers: “The underdog can always surprise in the cup, that’s clear. Football in Essen lives on mentality. They’ll put everything they’ve got into it and try to take the crowd with them. For us, it’s a matter of holding our own to the maximum and ultimately bringing our own playmaking class onto the field in order to win the game for ourselves.