HSV aim titles with Vori

New season, same ambitions: HSV Hamburg is heading for titles in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

“We want to be number one in all competitions we start, this is our objective,” president Andreas Rudolph said. The Hamburg team – CL semi-finalist in the last two seasons and runner-up in the Bundesliga, have high hopes.

…Especially with Igor Vori. The Croatian international – MVP of the last World Championship, World Champion in 2003 and Olympics champion in 2004 – arrives from RK Zagreb and signed a three-year contract with HSV.

Last Friday Zagreb sent the final approval, so Vori could play in the first preparation matches already.

“I did not expect to leave Zagreb like this, but it was something I had to do,” Vori said after breaking up his contract with Zagreb.

The line player is very satisfied with his new club:

“It’s a three-year contract. I’m very happy to continue my carrier in the best league in the world.”

The club management is also looking forward to Vori getting the HSV jersey.

“Vori is an extremely important part of our team, in attack and defence,” sporting director Christian Fitzek said. HSV now have one of the best pivot duos in the world: Vori and the French Olympic champion Bertrand Gille.

“In this position we have great options now,” Fitzek added.

The Duvnjak case

In the future Hamburg will have one more Croatian: centre back Domagoj Duvnjak signed a three-year contract with HSV, starting from 2011, but the club is still fighting to get the great talent and successor of Ivano Balic earlier.

German media alleged that HSV is willing to pay a transfer fee around €600,000, but rumours have it that Kiel and Ciudad Real are also interested.

“We try to get Duvnjak immediately,” HSV president Andreas Rudolph admitted in an interview. “But we didn’t have reaction from Zagreb. I’m very confident that the clubs will find a solution.”

In an interview posted on the HSV website Duvnjak claimed that he is only talking to HSV: “Neither Kiel or Ciudad Real contacted me or my manager. My next club after Zagreb will be Hamburg, but the clubs now have to negotiate now.”

Another top player will start his rehabilitation trainings: Pascal Hens. The German left back got married last month and now he is recovering from a hamstring operation. He won’t be able to play until September.