Tradition is no guarantee against a downfall. HSV has experienced this firsthand in the recent past. Why this game is special for BVB President Cramer.

Borussia Dortmund President Carsten Cramer has highlighted the special significance of the match against the long-established North German club Hamburger SV. “In terms of demand, this match is the second-biggest game after the one against Bayern,” the spokesperson for BVB’s executive board told the “Hamburger Abendblatt” ahead of Saturday’s Bundesliga match (6:30 p.m./Sky).

At the same time, he sees HSV—which spent seven years in the second division and was only promoted last summer—as “a cautionary tale that tradition and greatness do not protect you from things quickly taking a turn for the worse. You really should always be aware of just how fine a line you’re walking.”

Cramer worked for a marketing firm at the start of the millennium and was responsible for HSV there. “HSV is indeed a great club, and it’s no coincidence that in recent years we’ve repeatedly talked about how good and important it is to have clubs like HSV, Cologne, and ultimately Schalke in the Bundesliga.”

In the first half of the season, the two teams played to a 1-1 draw at the Volksparkstadion after a late goal in stoppage time by HSV’s Ransford Königdörffer. Dortmund is in second place in the standings, while HSV is in eleventh.