For decades, the giant clock at the Volksparkstadion ticked defiantly, a proud reminder to fans that Hamburg had never been relegated from the Bundesliga. A founding member of Germany’s rebranded top flight in 1963, the Red Shorts would go on to establish themselves as one of the biggest clubs in Europe in the late 1970s and ‘80s, as the likes of Kevin Keegan, Manfred Kaltz and Felix Magath lifted major silverware both at home and on the continent.
Even long after those glories faded, their status as a Bundesliga side looked assured – a club simply too grand, too solid, to go down. That was, until mediocrity began to set in. The 2011/12 season, coming just two seasons after HSV reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League, saw them finish 15th in the Bundesliga – their lowest position ever.
