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Hamburg head coach Merlin Polzin has confirmed that Daniel Heuer Fernandes will continue to serve as his side’s first-choice goalkeeper, despite the arrival of Daniel Peretz this summer, reports kicker.
On Friday, Polzin informed his two goalkeepers that it would be Heuer Fernandes who will start on Sunday between the sticks away at Borussia Mönchengladbach and remain first-choice goalkeeper beyond that. Additionally, the 32-year-old will maintain his claim to the No.1 shirt.
It should hardly come as a surprise, considering Heuer Fernandes’ massive contribution to HSV’s successful promotion campaign last year, both on the pitch and – as the ZDF documentary ‘Always Hamburg’ that was released last week showed – off it as well. The goalkeeper has a tremendous amount of influence on the team spirit within the dressing room and was instrumental in cultivating a positive squad dynamic about the Hamburg outfit.
Bayern-loanee Peretz’ arrival had posed a selection question for Polzin, having played backup to Manuel Neuer for a number of years. The Israeli national goalkeeper looked sharp and dynamic in training and made his intentions clear from the off, announcing: “My goal is to play”.
Polzin, however, has made his decision quite clear. Heuer Fernandes performed well in the narrow DFB Cup first-round win over Pirmasens, saving HSV multiple times from near-embarrassment. Peretz, on the other hand, had some shaky moments in the pre-season 2-0 defeat away at Mallorca.
Polzin indicated that his back-up keeper respects his decision, saying: “Daniel took the decision professionally and wants to embrace the role.” The young manager did indicate, though, that the hierarchy is not set in stone, adding: “I expect nothing less than maximum performance from both of them.”
GGFN | Sam Carey
