Hamburg’s biggest stars over the years

Over the years several top players have worn Hamburg’s blue shirt with the iconic black-and-white square logo. Here are some of them: ■ The diminutive forward was post-war West Germany’s first football star. The Hamburg native spent 18 years at the club between 1954 and 1972, scoring over 400 goals in all competitions. He was also the Bundesliga’s inaugural top scorer in 1963 while also participating with West Germany in four editions of the World Cup.

The tall and powerful centre forward had his most successful club career at Hamburg, winning Bundesliga titles as well as the European Cup in 1983. Nicknamed ‘the header beast’ due to his scoring ability in the air, his two headers in 1980 against Real Madrid in their 5-1 semi-final demolition of the Spaniards to reach the European Cup final have become a club highlight. He built a formidable partnership with central defender Manfred Kaltz, whose trademark long crosses often picked out Hrubesch.

Nicknamed “Mighty Mouse”, the England international became Germany’s first foreign star, signing for what was then a British record fee of £500,000 (Dh2.41 million) back in 1977. He delivered as promised, leading them to their first Bundesliga title in 1979 and becoming an enduring crowd favourite well beyond his three seasons there.

‘Der Kaiser’ — Germany’s World Cup winning captain and coach may be inextricably linked with Bayern Munich where he won countless titles. But his two-season Bundesliga return between spells at New York Cosmos in the early 1980s was with Hamburg. He enjoyed success there, winning the Bundesliga in 1982 before returning to New York to play out his career.

During his decade at the club between 19761986, the hard-working midfielder managed to score Hamburg’s winning goal in their 1983 European Cup final against Juventus, earn three Bundesliga titles as well as the Cup Winners’ Cup medal in 1977 among others. Despite becoming a highly successful Bundesliga coach, leading Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg to the league titles, he only briefly coached his former club at he start of his managerial career more than 20 years ago.

He played for 19 seasons years at Hamburg, holding the club’s record for Bundesliga appearances with 581. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Uwe Seeler: Horst Hrubesch: Kevin Keegan: Franz Beckenbauer: Felix Magath: Manfred Kaltz:

Reuters Hamburg’s Lewis Holtby looks dejected after the match against Eintracht Frankfurt. Hamburg are on the verge of getting relegated from German top flight for the first time.