(foto: Uradni facebook profil kluba)
Six-time Bundesliga champions Hamburg are back in Germany’s top flight after winning promotion from the 2. For the first time since 2018, the Bundesliga sparks wild celebrations across the city.
Hamburger SV have officially returned to the Bundesliga after clinching top spot in the 2. Bundesliga, ending a painful six-year spell in the second tier and reigniting one of German football’s most storied clubs.
The six-time German champions, who also boast three DFB-Pokal titles and a European Cup trophy from 1983, last played in the top flight during the 2017/18 season. Since then, they’ve come close to promotion multiple times—only to fall short.
This season, however, HSV finally got it right. With consistent performances and a strong finish, they claimed first place and sealed their long-awaited return. Fans flooded the streets of Hamburg in celebration, with viral videos showcasing the raw emotion of a football city finally getting its pride back.
Among those celebrating was Vincent Kompany, newly crowned Bayern Munich manager, who spent a key part of his early playing career at Hamburg. Transferring from Anderlecht in 2006, the Belgian defender quickly made a name for himself before joining Manchester City in 2008.
Kompany was filmed inside Bayern’s club offices watching HSV’s title confirmation, clapping and smiling as his former club secured promotion. “It’s a special moment,” he said, reflecting on the opportunity Hamburg gave him as a young international.
In the upcoming season, Kompany and Bayern will face HSV at least twice, adding emotional weight to the fixtures as the coach returns to the stadium that helped launch his European career.
While clubs like Schalke, Hertha Berlin, and Cologne are still stuck in the second division, Hamburg’s revival may serve as inspiration. The German titan with an army of loyal supporters is back among the elite—and the Bundesliga is better for it.