"Idol and Monument": HSV soon in the Uwe-Seeler-Stadion?

Created: 2022-07-22Updated: 2022-07-22 2:41 PM

The honorary captain of the German national soccer team and former Hamburger SV player, Uwe Seeler, waves the HSV flag.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa/archive image

Mourning for football legend Uwe Seeler dominates in Hamburg - and the football world also commemorates a special person.

Wishes and mind games are raised as to how the Hanseatic city and its association should deal with the honorary citizen and idol.

Hamburg - Hamburg is mourning - and the football world takes part.

One day after the death of the idol, a lot is already revolving around the question: How do you do justice to the HSV legend with global appeal?

The renaming of the Volksparkstadion to the Uwe-Seeler-Stadion is under discussion.

There will also be a central funeral service for the honorary citizen of Hamburg.

The flags were hoisted at half-mast in front of the town hall of the Hanseatic city.

The German Football League recommends that the clubs in the 2nd Bundesliga hold a minute's silence at the weekend in honor of the legend.

A delegation from HSV commemorated the greatest hero in the club's long history at the Hamburg stadium on Friday.

Vice-President Bernd Wehmeyer, youth boss Horst Hrubesch, coach Tim Walter and team captain Sebastian Schonlau laid a wreath and a blue and white club scarf on the oversized right bronze foot of the former goalscorer.

"Uwe Seeler is not just a piece of HSV, but also a piece of Hamburg history," said long-time HSV captain Hrubesch.

But Seeler is not only part of the history of the Hanseatic city - he was remembered far beyond the borders.

Real Madrid paid tribute to the "legend of German football".

The British newspaper "The Guardian" described Seeler in great words: "Before the elegant and technical era of Franz Beckenbauer, he represented the traditional strengths of German football: power, high morale, commitment and an indomitable will to win." For Beckenbauer himself "Uwe" was his "oldest friend.

And my best,” said the 76-year-old to “Bild”.

"There is no other such great person like Uwe."

That's why a Uwe-Seeler-Stadion in Hamburg would undoubtedly have charm.

Even if the name Volksparkstadion carries a lot of tradition and thus stands out from the sometimes bulky product or company name stadiums that otherwise characterize the image in German top football.

“I assume that the stadium will now be renamed.

Everything else would be completely wrong," said Felix Magath as another Hamburg football idol of the German Press Agency on Friday.

“Uwe Seeler belongs to this city, to this club, to German football.

For me it is inevitable that the Volksparkstadion will now be named after him.”

Klaus-Michael Kühne sees it that way too - and it's ultimately up to him.

The HSV investor, who holds 15.21 percent of the shares in the football company and who acquired the naming rights to the Volkspark Stadium again this season for an estimated three million euros, is open to renaming.

"If you want to rename the Volksparkstadion to the Uwe-Seeler-Stadion, I'll be there immediately, even if the traditional name would then no longer exist.

As a Hamburg idol and monument, Uwe Seeler fully deserves the naming of the HSV stadium after his name,” said Kühne to the “Hamburger Abendblatt” (Friday).

The 85-year-old logistics entrepreneur usually has something to complain about at HSV and its sporting development.

However, he bows to the club idol.

“Uwe Seeler was an outstanding football player as well as a great person.

I was often able to watch him when I was younger and was there for the memorable overhead kick goal against Westfalia Herne in the championship year 1960 in the Volksparkstadion.

Unbelievable and unforgettable,” said Kühne.

The sale of stadium rights is always a financial question.

How long will Kühne give money for this?

Which company that wants to advertise itself and its products on a stadium roof would accept the name Uwe-Seeler-Stadion for a sum of millions?

If in doubt, would HSV, which has been in deficit for a long time, completely forego income from the sale of the naming rights in the interest of honoring its idol?

Questions that cannot be answered at the moment of mourning the football legend.

also read

Mourning flags for Uwe Seeler: Condolence book laid out

Fake call from Europol: Scammers lure victims with a new scam

Seeler has been an honorary citizen of Hamburg since 2003.

Therefore, a public memorial service is conceivable.

But the Hanseatic city has to clarify that first.

Talks are currently being held with the family, according to the town hall.

Because normally pompous ceremonies do not suit the down-to-earth souler.

His motto "It's the most beautiful thing to be normal.

I'm perfectly normal."

However, the honorary captain of the national team was always aware of his role as a folk hero, as a person who had a place in millions of hearts.

He always wanted to do justice to his fans.

Whether they wanted to chat with him at a casual meeting, ask for autographs or text him.

Seeler didn't just want to be one of them, he was.

dpa