Hamburger SV is pinning its hopes on the return of Mario Vušković amid a sporting crisis. The defender is available again after completing a four-year doping ban and is tasked with shoring up a disastrously leaky back line.
Vušković tested positive for the banned substance EPO in 2022 and was subsequently handed a four-year suspension. Despite the positive test, many in Hamburg viewed him as a victim of a flawed system. Now, with the ban served, the staggering club is clinging to the hope that the 24-year-old can salvage his career and help the team simultaneously.
The situation is dire. Hamburger SV sits bottom of the Bundesliga with zero points from three games. The record is brutal: three defeats, zero goals scored, and twelve conceded. The most recent debacle was a 5-0 loss away to RB Leipzig last Saturday. The defence looks porous, and the squad is depleted. Alongside Vušković, Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit, Kofi Jeremy Amoako, Sebastiaan Bornauw and Immanuel Pherei are also sidelined with injuries.
The club's decision-makers hope Vušković's comeback will provide a much-needed spark. His physical presence and aerial ability could bring stability to a shaky defensive unit. Whether he can immediately recapture his old form after such a long enforced break is the major unknown. Preparations are already underway for the next match, a home fixture against 1. FC Köln on Saturday. Köln currently sit in 12th place. The full schedule for the coming weeks is on our fixtures page.
For the player himself, the focus is now on proving on the pitch that the past is behind him. Hamburg's last five competitive matches yielded two wins and three defeats, with the recent trend pointing downwards. A look at the current standings shows the urgency. A positive result against Köln would be a desperately needed sign of life. The return of Mario Vušković is the first step in a difficult mission.
First reported at Der Spiegel Fussball
