HSV fire coach Per Carlén

Surprisingly German champion HSV Hamburg have fired their coach Per Carlén after only six months. In July the Swede had become successor of Martin Schwalb, who led HSV to their first ever German championship title and then became President and club director.

In a short notice on the HSV website the club announced on Thursday evening that Hamburg and Carlén “go separate ways” from now on. “We have not decided yet about our new coach, but will start in January to find a successor,” Schwalb stated in this press release.

The HSV performance in the VELUX EHF Champions League – seven victories in seven matches and already qualified for the Last 16 – was not the reason for the expulsion, but the results in the Bundesliga: After four defeats in 17 matches Hamburg is already eight points below THW Kiel after their starting record of 36:0 points and far away from their objective to defend their title.

Carlén had been coach at SG Flensburg-Handewitt until end of 2010 and after announcing his transfer to Hamburg. And his son Oscar, who arrived with his father at HSV, did not have any match for his new club after two ruptured crucial ligaments.

Aside two HSV top player will miss the EHF EURO 2012 in Serbia due to injuries: Marcin Lijewski (Poland) and Michael Kraus (Germany).