Following a seven-year absence, HSV is back in the German Bundesliga and have recorded one point in the first two matches. They lost the derby against St. Pauli at the end of August, and they could be in for another disappointment when they travel to the Allianz Arena to do battle with champions Bayern Munich.
HSV have come away completely empty-handed in Munich nine successive times, with Bayern scoring an average of 6.25 goals per game in the last eight games alone.
HSV have even conceded at least eight goals three times against the German record champions, who have not lost any of their nine top games on Saturday evening under coach Vincent Kompany, who played for HSV from 2006 to 2008 during his active career.
As a player, Kompany remained unbeaten in two Bundesliga matches against Bayern. And the last time HSV managed to record at least a point at the Allianz Arena (August 15, 2008, 2-2), Kompany was involved in the last Bundesliga game of his career before moving on to Manchester City.
The Belgian still remembers the start of the Bundesliga in the summer of 2008. Back then, Kompany had a huge ambition to play in the semi-finals of the Olympic football tournament in China with the Belgian national team, until HSV quickly decided to bring him back only for coach Martin Jol to put him on the bench in Munich anyway.
“I was so angry,” Kompany says according to Kicker. "I said: That's not possible. My country is playing in the semi-finals of the Olympics... And I'm not allowed to play."
“I decided after this game that I wanted to leave,” said the Bayern coach on Friday. "It had nothing to do with HSV, but I was promised something..."
The former defender still finds the behavior “unacceptable” today. After that game, at the Hilton at the airport, I said: I have to do something different." Kompany's father tried to calm his son down and prevent him from saying goodbye. “I know it’s a great club,” replied Kompany. "But in principle I'm leaving."
Exactly a week later, Kompany moved from HSV to Manchester City for € 10.5 million and won four English championships as captain of Pep Guardiola's side. "I didn't make a bad choice."
He is still grateful to HSV, even though the three-year collaboration ended on a bad note when things did not go according to plan in Kompany's life.
His mother Joseline passed away and his sister Christel developed cancer while he himself struggled with a torn Achilles tendon which continued to haunt him.
“It wasn’t all easy personally,” he says today. "Nevertheless, I made many friends. The connection will always remain", says Kompany.