HSV Hamburg sign new goalkeeper

It took only a few days for HSV Hamburg to find the successor to Den Beutler after the Swedish goalkeeper transferred to Qatari club El-Jaish with immediate effect.

The VELUX EHF Champions League quarter-finalist found their future goalkeeper in the form of Danish international Marcus Cleverly, who signed a contract in Hamburg for the 2013/14 season.

31-year-old Cleverly’s current club is Swedish side Lugi HF, a team he has recently joined after he had played three seasons for Vive Targi Kielce.

Cleverly left Kielce for Sweden and cited a back injury, which occurred at the Olympic Games in London, to be closer to home.

Before, he had become EHF EURO champion 2012 in Serbia – and will play at Hamburg together with his Danish national team mates Hans Lindberg and Henrik Toft Hansen, who will arrive from Bjerringbro after this season.

“Marcus Cleverly has plenty of international experience and proved his class in Kielce. We are happy to have found a player, who perfectly completes our goalkeeper team with Johannes Bitter and Max-Henri Herrmann,” HSV coach Martin Schwalb said.

“I am looking forward to return to Germany, where I had played before. Hamburg are one of the strongest German clubs and will be a challenge for me,” Cleverly was quoted in a press statement of the club.

The goalkeeper had started his handball career at Danish side Team Helsinge, where he was teammate of HSV right winger Hans Lindberg, current top scorer of the VELUX EHF Champions League.

Cleverly then transferred to FCK in Copenhagen, later to the German second division clubs Emsdetten and Oßweil, before his move to Kielce.

In 2010 he faced Hamburg in the Last 16 with the Polish champions, losing by three on aggregate (24:30, 30:27).

Cleverly won two Polish championships and three Polish cups with the club and is currently fighting to reach the Swedish league final with Lugi.