If HSV asks, then acceptance is mandatory.

"If HSV asks, then acceptance is mandatory." Originally, Heribert Bruchhagen had planned to spend his time after stepping back from active football business as a TV expert and keynote speaker. For the 68-year-old, who, after 13 years at the helm of Eintracht Frankfurt, had shared his expertise for the pay-TV channel Sky and on stages across the country at the end of his management career, retirement has now been postponed to the back burner faster than originally expected. As announced in a press release by Hamburger Sportverein, Bruchhagen will take over as CEO of the crisis-stricken Bundesliga dinosaur starting from December 14. Despite possessing the infrastructure, financially strong urban environment, brand standing, fan base, and many other factors that could potentially make them regular participants in European competitions, Hamburg has been falling far short of their potential for years. Twice in the last three years, the club narrowly avoided its first-ever relegation by winning the relegation playoffs. Much of the misery is attributed to the mismanagement of the leadership. Therefore, high hopes are placed on veteran Bruchhagen to lead the Hanseatic team back to calmer waters. Certainly not an easy task for the successor of Dietmar Beiersdorfer; he would not be the first to fail at the club known for its impressive turnover of ten different coaches in the last six years. "I am aware of the sporting situation at HSV and can assess it. We will do everything in our power to achieve the goal of staying in the league together," Bruchhagen expressed confidently. Turning down the offer from the six-time German champions, for whom he already worked as a manager from 1992 to 1995, never crossed his mind: "This step was certainly not foreseen at my farewell in Frankfurt. But if HSV asks, then for anyone who has worked in Bundesliga management, the question of accepting or declining does not arise. Acceptance is mandatory."