Dortmund's Cramer names SV Hamburg fate 'warning example'
Borussia Dortmund managing director Carsten Cramer sits on the podium during the annual general meeting of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA. Bernd Thissen/dpa Borussia Dortmund spokesman of the management Carsten Cramer has said that their next opponents SV Hamburg serve as "a warning example" that fame and history does not guarantee success.
Former Bundesliga and European champions Hamburg have only returned into the top flight this season after spending seven years in the second division. Cramer told the Hamburger Abendblatt paper on the eve of Satrurday's game in Dortmund that "based on demand this game is the second biggest after Bayern (Munich). " But he named Hamburg's fate in recent years "a warning example showing that tradition and greatness do not protect you from things taking a turn for the worse in the blink of an eye.
"You really ought to be constantly aware of the fine line you are walking,” Cramer said. Dortmund, for their part, spent four years in the second tier 1972-1976. They were close to insolvency some 20 years ago but have since recovered.
Their last Bundesliga title was in 2012 and they are currently second, nine points behind Bayern. Hamburg are 11th, six points above the danger zone. Cramer dealt with the SV Hamburg while working for a sports rights company in the past.
"HSV really are a great club, and it’s no coincidence that we’ve repeatedly spoken over the past few years about how good and important it is to have clubs like HSV, Cologne and, ultimately, Schalke in the Bundesliga," he said. All those clubs have a huge fan base and generate more interest than others. Cologne were promoted back alongside Hamburg in summer, and former UEFA Cup winners Schalke as second division leaders hope for a Bundesliga return after three years.