Marcell Jansen interview: ‘Aleksandar Pavlović is my favourite player’

Talking to Marcell Jansen helps you understand the Hamburg of recent years. The former HSV and Bayern defender didn’t just spend seven years at the Volksparkstadion as a player but has also held several roles leading the northern club. He even represented their third team in the sixth tier after retiring from the professional game. “The club obviously means a lot to me,” said Jansen, who is the last Hamburg player to play for Germany. fcbayern.com spoke to the now 40-year-old ahead of Saturday’s game about his career, chats with Vincent Kompany, his memories of Uli Hoeneß and a sleeping giant.

Interview with Marcell Jansen

Marcell, how excited are you ahead of what is probably the biggest game for HSV in recent years?
Marcell Jansen: “I've been through many phases at HSV. I started out as a player for seven years, then moved on to work for the club, be chairman of the supervisory board, president, and face of the foundation. And then I was an amateur athlete at HSV. I turned 40 in November and have spent half my life at HSV – the other half at Gladbach. Thankfully, I also had a very intense time at Bayern in between. I'm really looking forward to the clash between my two former clubs. I'm no longer working for the club, so I'll be enjoying Saturday's game live in the stadium as a fan.”

How will HSV approach Saturday's big game?
“The first division must be HSV's goal, and we must continue to think in a Hanseatic, down-to-earth way. That's how we'll welcome Bayern this weekend. In terms of sport, there's obviously a world of difference between the two teams, although Bayern's closest rivals haven't fared any better in direct encounters so far this season [laughs]. Everyone’s looking forward to this game.”

Looking back, how would you assess your time as an executive at HSV?
“After six intense years, I made a conscious decision not to stand for re-election in June 2025. It was the right time. Our clear goal was always to stabilise HSV financially, develop its structure further, and unleash its enormous potential again. Today, the club is financially healthy, debt-free, has a record number of members, and is back on track for growth. In terms of sport, we’ve achieved important milestones with the men's team’s promotion and the sustainable development of women's football into the first division. The decisive factor for me is that HSV is now in excellent health, fit for the future, and ready for the next steps. I’m proud of that.”

...and what about your time as a player with HSV?
“I transferred from Bayern to HSV in 2008. In the following years, we reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup and Europa League twice in a row and were consistently among the top five in the Bundesliga. That shows the level HSV was at back then. In the years that followed, the club increasingly lost its balance due to many changes in key positions, high investments in coaches and transfers, and a lack of continuity. Sporting decisions and economic reality no longer matched, which ultimately led to relegation. That was painful to watch. After my playing career, it was therefore important to me as president, together with all those in charge, to take a different path – one that was more sustainable, structured and economically responsible. Today, I hope that HSV has learned from this period and will not repeat the mistakes of the past.”

It started with the European football and ended with relegation battles. Which weighs heavier: the strain of years of fighting relegation or the joy of always making it in the end?
“The joy, definitely. We were always lucky that it worked out well. I never got relegated as a player with HSV. A relegation battle does something to your resilience. When you make it in the end, it's good for your resilience because you fought incredibly hard, and that’s rewarded. This phase is associated with enormous pressure. You know that jobs are at stake and that a big club like HSV doesn't really belong in the second division. It also bonds you with the fans.“

You played alongside Van Nistelrooy, Son, Van der Vaart, Adler and Calhanoglu at HSV. Who was your best teammate at HSV?
“The one player I would definitely include in this group is Zé Roberto. I played with him at Bayern and at HSV, and the same goes for Paolo Guerrero. We had a lot of good guys, including Nigel de Jong and Piotr Trochowski, to name just a few.”

In 2013/14, a youth player called Jonathan Tah joined the first team.
“Jonathan was just 17 when he joined us. That says it all, because at that time it was even more difficult to become a pro at that age. You could see that he was an incredible talent with potential, but of course he couldn't be fully trained at 17. He was tall, he was fast. HSV threw him in and put their faith in him. He then did well.”

What do HSV need to do to remain in the Bundesliga in the long term?
“The transformation of the past six or seven years was necessary and right. HSV has stabilised in sporting terms, completely recovered financially and competed for promotion every year. At the same time, the club has learned from the mistakes of the past and developed in a much more sustainable way. The enormous support of the fans and members, who have always supported this path, was also crucial. This made the change possible. Today, HSV is back on a strong foundation and exactly where it belongs. With these conditions in place, the goal must be to play a solid role in the Bundesliga again in the coming years. This requires calm, continuity and smart decisions, especially from the board and in transfers.”

After a difficult pre-season, it seemed that HSV had made some good last-minute transfers with Vuskovic, Vieira and others. Now they’re adding more in the winter transfer window.
“HSV are currently in 14th place, which is not a relegation spot, but not far from it either. If they can hold on to that position until the end, they will have done everything right. They made some very good transfers in the summer. Vuskovic, Vieira and Lokonga give the team stability and quality. HSV have been good in their home games so far. The biggest challenge will be to improve in attack. That's crucial. At HSV, the midfielders are the most dangerous goalscorers. They sometimes compensate for this with their compactness and strong defence. Bayern are not the benchmark for HSV, of course. They will then play against Heidenheim, Union and Mainz—those will be decisive games.”

How did promotion-winning coach Merlin Polzin manage to revitalise Hamburg and its environment?
“Merlin has already been through many stages, including as an assistant coach. That's where he may have seen what HSV was still lacking. He has a calm and very strong analytical style and always tries something tactically. But he also knows how to deliver an emotional and effective pep talk at the right time. He’s very resilient, self-critical and doesn't sugarcoat things. At HSV, he has to make more out of less, to overperform, so to speak. Merlin also has a good feel for the new generation, the young players. He does this very well and, together with his coaching team, is doing an outstanding job.”

Let's talk about Bayern with Marcell Jansen, Oliver Kahn, Luca Toni, Lukas Podolski, Franck Ribéry, Bastian Schweinsteiger... What is your favourite anecdote from 2007/08?
“It was a great season! I felt very comfortable in Munich. I often sat at the table with Oliver Kahn; it was his last season. For me as a young Germany international, it was world class to have a coach like Ottmar Hitzfeld. My fondest memory is when Uli Hoeneß hugged me at the title celebration at the Allianz Arena and said, 'Marcell, first year at Bayern, already a regular player. Respect, you can be proud of yourself.' That stuck with me. After my relegation with Mönchengladbach the summer before, I had offers. We were already well advanced with Barcelona. But the efforts of Uli Hoeneß, Paul Breitner and Ottmar Hitzfeld were decisive for me.”

Are you still in touch with your teammates from back then?
“Definitely with Lukas Podolski, whom I also played against in my youth. We both became Germany internationals at a very young age. Whether it was with Poldi, Basti Schweinsteiger, Oli Kahn, Miro Klose or Philipp Lahm – we had a great team spirit. But I also had a great rapport with Franck Ribéry. We played on the same side together. I'm still in touch with Hamit Altintop.”

Why did you decide to move to HSV so soon?
“It wasn't bad, but it was surprising to me that there was a complete shake-up in 2008 after the double. That was a shame because I was very impressed with Ottmar Hitzfeld. I had a good relationship with Jürgen Klinsmann, even though I didn't receive the same appreciation as in my first year. Then I made the decision to join another top club, HSV. But I’m proud and grateful to have played for Bayern as a regular and Germany international. I was also able to develop as a person in Hamburg, away from football. That is worth much more than anything else.”

Saturday will also mark a return for Vincent Kompany. Do you have any memories of the current Bayern coach?
“Regardless of his coaching career, I’ve met with Vincent on several occasions to discuss entrepreneurship after retirement. We have a mutual friend who still lives in Hamburg. We also visited Vinnie once when he was playing for Manchester City at Chelsea in London. He has a great mindset and is a great guy. I'm very happy for him because Bayern's courageous decision has been rewarded. We didn't play together as players; he left in the summer of 2008 when I joined HSV.”

How good do you think the current Bayern team is?
“You can see the spirit the team has, that they're really into playing football. Bayern are very, very good. They're well balanced and have an incredibly good mix in the team. The player profiles have everything – from very young to very experienced. On top of that, they have a great coaching team and effective sporting leadership. There’s calm in the club again. The goal must be the double. In the Champions League, you have to keep your feet on the ground, because the world's elite are represented there. Bayern are among the favourites, along with two or three other clubs. It would be a sensational season if they won the double and went far in the Champions League. Even as Bayern, you always have to remember where you come from. That's why I think the Champions League would be a bonus. If you can maintain your current level for several years, you can aim higher in Europe again. But I wouldn't go that far in the current season, despite all the euphoria. We Germans should all keep our fingers crossed for Bayern in Europe.”

You went from ball boy to senior player at Gladbach, become a regular at Bayern at the age of 22. How do you make it as a young player at Bayern?
“That's working incredibly well at Bayern right now – young players are coming up through the ranks. It speaks volumes about the character of the team that the veterans allow the carefree youngsters to lead them. My absolute favourite player is Aleksandar Pavlović. Not enough is said about him, even though he plays really well. Players like him are what make Bayern special. They're important for keeping the Mia San Mia spirit and identity alive and making sure the team stays successful for years to come.”