Hamburg SV have been relegated from the top flight for the first time since the Bundesliga's creation in 1963. Hamburg's 2-1 home win against Mönchengladbach wasn't enough, as Wolfsburg defeated Cologne.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/A. Grimm
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Hamburg SV's record of being the only ever-present team in the German Bundesliga top flight came to cruel end on Saturday.
Despite beating Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 in the last game of the season, Hamburg needed already relegated Cologne to defeat Wolfsburg to have any chance of surviving.
That good fortune never looked like coming, however, with Wolfsburg running away 4-1 winners. The Wolves will now face a relegation play-off against the third-best from the second Bundesliga flight, Holstein Kiel.
Hamburg had taken an early lead through Aaron Hunt before Gladbach's Josip Drmic levelled the score just before halftime. HSV went in front again just after the hour mark through a curling strike from Lewis Holtby.
Even after going down to 10 men following Bobby Wood's dismissal in the 71st minute, Hamburg continued to hold on, hoping for a miracle that ultimately never came.
"This is an extremely painful moment for the entire Hamburg SV," said club President Bernd Hoffmann. "The club has lost one of the things that makes it unique."
Once it became clear HSV's hopes of survival had vanished, fans responded angrily by launching flares onto the pitch. Officials halted play for 15 minutes as riot police scrambled to maintain order.Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Heimken
HSV relegation further marred by crowd trouble
Hamburg's Bundesliga farewell match was marred by crowd trouble late on, as supporters threw flares onto the field as it became clear they were heading for the drop. As a huge plume of black smoke rose out of the stadium, authorities were forced to halt the match just minutes from time. Dozens of riot police, including several on horses, charged onto the pitch and lined up in front of the Hamburg fans.
Most fans reacted with anger to the disturbances, chanting "We are the people of Hamburg and you're not!" and "Get them out!"
Play resumed 15 minutes later, if only for the referee to blow the final whistle and confirm Hamburg's relegation.
Several HSV fans, as well as a handful of players, broke down in tears at the end. The northern club's famous stadium clock that showed the clubs 54 years and 260 days in the top flight will now have be reset.
The writing was already on the wall for the six-time German champions, after last week's 0-0 draw against Mainz. After the final whistle, HSV supporters booed and chided their players, with chants of "Relegated, relegated!" ringing through the Volksparkstadion.
Bundesliga: From Keegan to Van der Vaart: Hamburg’s international stars
It's finally happened. The only Bundesliga club never to have been relegated, are on their way to the second division. DW looks back on the foreign stars who made their mark during Hamburg’s 54-year Bundesliga history.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/P. Robinson
Rafael van der Vaart
Few footballers enjoyed the unconditional love of the HSV fans the way Rafael van der Vaart did. The Dutchman first touched down on the Hanseatic shores in 2005 and played an integral role in clinching European qualification in all three seasons of his first stint at the club. The second came after he'd spent time on the books at Real Madrid and Tottenham - when Hamburg were desperate for heroics.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/R. Hartmann
Kevin Keegan
Like van der Vaart, Kevin Keegan was also brought in during a time of need when the club stumped up a substantial sum to sign him from Liverpool in 1977. A rocky start that saw him banned for eight weeks after knocking out an opponent soon gave way to strong form and success. "Mächtig Maus" (Mighty Mouse) as he was affectionately known, went on to win the Ballon d’Or twice in three seasons.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/P. Robinson
David Jarolim
David Jarolim took to the field 344 times in all competitions during a nine-year spell in the northern port city - more than any other non-German player. The Czech international joined in 2003 and experienced both highs and lows at the club. From finishing as high as third in 2006 and qualifying for Europe four years running to the club’s downward spiral following the turn of the decade.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/M. Rose
Sergej Barbarez
Not many footballers can claim to have a street named after them. Barbarez can. The three-time Bosnia-Herzegovnian footballer of the year received the honor in his native Mostar. Barbarez is the club’s record foreign scorer with 76 goals in all competitions, which included a 22-goal haul in the Bundesliga that secured him the scoring title in 2001.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/A. Hassenstein
Ivica Olic
This list would not be complete without the player who scored Hamburg’s first-ever natural hat trick – three unanswered, consecutive goals in one half. Olic achieved the feat in a 4-1 win over Stuttgart in 2007, but will be remembered for much more having spent a combined three-and-a-half seasons in Hamburg over the course of two stints at the club.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/M. Rose
Ze Roberto
Ze Roberto is a Bundesliga legend who left an impression on every club he played for during an illustrious career. Like at Leverkusen and Bayern Munich before, the Brazilian was a first-team regular during his time at Hamburg. Having been a winger in his early career, at HSV he played the role of midfield general whose calm presence balanced out the egocentric wannabes in the team.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/A. Grimm
Mehdi Mahdavikia
One of the most memorable Middle Eastern footballers of his generation, Mehdi Mahdavikia's 263 outings in all competitions only fall short only of Jarolim's on the list of Hamburg’s foreign appearance makers. The Iranian saw a loan deal made permanent by HSV as he went on to be named the club’s 'player of the year’ two years running in 2003 and 2004.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/M. Rose
Heung-min Son
Son has a special place on this list given that he’s the only player to have come through Hamburg’s youth academy. The South Korean megastar moved from Seoul in 2008 and went onto become one of the club’s biggest talents of recent years. Unfortunately for the club, his rise to prominence coincided with a string of poor finishes that prevented HSV from holding onto his services for longer.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/D. Kopatsch
Vincent Kompany
The imprint that Vincent Kompany left on Hamburg looks somewhat like two feet planted on a springboard. The Belgian only made 51 appearances for HSV in all competitions, but still has kind words for the club that gave him his big break on the European circuit. The now three-time Premier League champion helped the club secure European qualification in his first season as a 20-year-old.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/M. Rose
Mladen Petric
With a left-foot that boasted as much finesse as it did raw power, Petric scored some of the most memorable goals in Hamburg history during a four-year stint in the port city. Stunning free-kicks and first-time volleys were commonplace among the 61 goals he scored in 136 games in all competitions. The Croatian almost single-handedly fired HSV to the Europa League final in 2010.
