HAMBURG SIGNS VETERAN VAN NISTELROOY FROM REAL MADRID

[Matzel]

HAMBURG SIGNS VETERAN VAN NISTELROOY FROM REAL MADRID

HAMBURG, Germany -- Striker Ruud van Nistelrooy joined Hamburg on Saturday, ending a three-plus year spell with Real Madrid after struggling to find playing time with the Spanish club this season.



Hamburg said Van Nistelrooy signed a contract through the 2010-11 season, but did not disclose financial details.

"(Hamburg) is a great club with a strong team and big ambitions -- and I have big ambitions too," Van Nistelrooy said, adding that he hopes the move can help him earn a spot on the Netherlands' World Cup squad.

The Bundesliga club said the 33-year-old Dutchman will arrive in Hamburg on Monday.

Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia said he was convinced the former Manchester United striker would score "important goals" for the club, which lost 1-0 at Borussia Dortmund shortly before the announcement. It is currently fifth in the league, five points behind leader Bayern Munich.

Van Nistelrooy was one of Europe's top goalscorers for much of the last decade, but has just one goal from four appearances so far this season. In total, he scored 60 from 89 appearances for Madrid.

He was widely expected to leave Real Madrid in the January transfer window and had been linked to several English clubs, including Tottenham and West Ham.

Van Nistelrooy scored 33 goals in 64 games for the Netherlands, but announced his retirement from internationals after the 2008 European Championship. However, he made it clear that he hopes increased playing time in Germany will pave the way for a comeback at this year's World Cup in South Africa.

"Of course, then I hope that the national team coach gets in touch with me and I can go to the World Cup," he said in an interview on club's Web site.

Van Nistelrooy joined Madrid from United in July 2006 for 15 million euros (then C$20 million) after helping the Red Devils to league and FA Cup titles. He was also one of only eight players to score 150 goals for United.

He was the top scorer in the Champions League in 2002, '03 and '06.

The former Ajax striker made an immediate impact in the Spanish capital, leading the league with 25 goals in his first season as he paired up with David Beckham again and helped the club end a four-year trophy drought -- the club's worst for 53 years -- with a league title.

Van Nistelrooy missed most of last season due to a serious knee injury, making only 10 appearances in all competitions, but still scored seven goals.

"I had a really good time in Madrid," the player said.

Still, "the Bundesliga has always appealed to me and that was also a reason for me to make the move," he added.

Labbadia said that "it makes clear the significance of the club that a player like Ruud van Nistelrooy has decided to move to Hamburg."

Story @ TSN.ca

[DerbyCoyote]

Wouldn't have minded seeing old Horse Face at Spurs, if he stays fit he almost guarantees goals.

With the greatest of respect to the Bundesliga and Hamburg, I'm a bit surprised he chose there. The noises when we were linked were that Spurs wasn't good enough for him and he was holding out for a Champions League side.

[Matzel]

Physical fitness is paramount for any footballer in a Euro top league. 'Van Goal' has the smarts and talent to score goals at will against the best defenders/goaltenders in the world, as long as he is healthy and fit.

Hamburg is one of Germany's oldest, most well known, and best performing clubs, with the unique distinction of having played continuously in top-flight German football since the end of World War I; the team has never been relegated from any top-flight league, a record in Germany.

The club had a brilliant run that saw them capture numerous honors during the mid '70s to late '80s. --> '76 German Cup win, followed up the next year with a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup; They took their first Bundesliga championship in 1979, fell just two points short behind Bayern Munich in 1980, and then won consecutive championships in 1982 and 1983, led by national star Felix Magath. 1983 also brought a UEFA European Champions' Cup with a 1-0 win over Juventus, followed by another German Cup in 1987.

This club is on it's way to establishing itself as a member among the European elite and players like Van Nistelrooy (when healthy) will help them get there. The HSH Nordbank Arena (57.274 capacity), home to the 'Red Pants', is a UEFA 5 star stadium, which certifies it to host UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League finals. With this year's UEFA Cup final scheduled to be played in Hamburg, I am neither surprised that the club is trying to add a striker of Van Nistelrooy's quality, nor am I surprised that he chose to come here. He knows Hamburg players like Elia, Castelen and Mathijsen from the Dutch national squad and they probably encouraged him to join the club.

During the first half of the current season, the Hamburg locker room has been a M.A.S.H. unit. The club had lost all it's regular strikers to injury at one point. Other veteran players like Jansen, Zé Roberto or Elia were also injured for part of the season. The fact that the team is 5th in the table, 7 points ahead of 6th place Werder Bremen, is somewhat of a miracle.

[DerbyCoyote]

They're a million miles from being an elite European side Matz, they're not even the premier side in Germany. All that success was 20 years ago. The top sides qualify for, and succeed in, the Champions League on a regular basis and the money that rewards them keeps them ahead of the field, which is unfortunate and makes for predictable viewing (imo), but that's how it is.

In his prime, would RVN sign in Hamburg? No. He'd sign for Man Utd, or Real, as he did and for big, big money. One of the top sides in the top leagues (Spain and England - where all the money is). Now he wants games and goals to get his place in the Dutch squad back in time for the World Cup this summer, so he's probably made a wise move. As for why Hamburg over an English side, well from the (ahem) horse's mouth:

Did you not fancy a return to the Premier League?

Some English sides showed an interest in me and it made me stop and think. I love the cut and thrust and the atmosphere of English football and, after five unbelievable years at Old Trafford, I would be crazy not to be tempted by the thought of going back there. In the end, nothing materialised and this is life. It's a cautious transfer market at the moment - the recession has seen to that. Ultimately, what Hamburg offered me as a sportsman was the most solid and persuasive.

Anyway, good player, hope he makes it to South Africa.

[Matzel]

I am not sure that I would agree with your assessment of the club being 'a million miles from being an elite European side', but that's really beside the point.

Hamburg is not ManU or Real, the top two teams or soccer brands on the planet. However, Hamburg is run financially responsible, not carrying debt loads of $1.0 Billion dollar+ like the two aforementioned sides. It is no surprise that German top flight teams can't compete with Real or ManU - the licensing regulations in the Bundesliga will not allow debt like that. ...and that's a good thing in my book...

The question whether RvN would have signed with Hamburg in his prime is pointless. The club could never have afforded his salary.

BTW, Hamburg qualifies for UEFA competition with regularity. They can't all win but the financial footing the club is on, is solid. Last year they lost in the semis to Werder Bremen, another German club you may not call topflight European but that shows well in UEFA competition regularly.

Best of luck to Hamburg and VanGoal!

[Matzel]

[DerbyCoyote]

The question whether RvN would have signed with Hamburg in his prime is pointless. The club could never have afforded his salary.

I don't see that as pointless in the context of Hamburg becoming an elite European club. The way the entire thing is set up helps the biggest sides stay the biggest sides. The UEFA Cup (or Europa League as they've now rebranded it) is a nice competition, but the Champions League it ain't and it very much plays second fiddle unfortunately, to the point where UEFA have ridiculously set it up to catch some of the teams that drop out of the CL at the group stage. RVN was a great player, is still I'm sure a very good player, but has probably found his mark now and I don't think he'll enable Hamburg to bridge the gap between good team and elite team in the time he has left. Just my opinion, from a coldly calculating point of view.

I'm not trying to hack on Hamburg, or this signing, in fact it reminds me of when Tottenham brought in one of my all time favourites, himself a German, and since we're on YouTubes, here he is scoring on debut, complete with trademark "dive" celebration:

I love that guy. That was my favourite season ever, it's never been as good as that year was and, believe it or not, I hope RVN makes you as excited to see what happens at Hamburg as Klinsmann did for me with my lot.

[Matzel]

I have always liked 'Klinsi' and my fondest memory of him is his performance in the game against the Dutch side during the World Cup in Italy 1990. Absolute world class.


Klinsman always looked kind of awkward on the pitch, something the (German) media made fun of during his playing career. The beauty of his game was that he just knew where to be to make his goals. He was very much a player who could be invisible for 88 minutes of a match and he'd use the other two minutes to score 2 markers.

[DerbyCoyote]

I remember Frank Rijkaard gobbing in Rudi Voller's mullet like it was yesterday. Can't believe that's 20 years ago, amazing.

Jurgen was pure class, for a guy who only actually played a season and a half for us to be listed as a legend on the club website (here) tells its own story.

Now I'm all nostalgic for the good old days

[Matzel]

Van Nistelrooy at the double for Hamburg

February 13th, 2010

Former Real Madrid and Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was in double form on only his second run out since joining Hamburg on Saturday.

The Dutch forward scored in the 75th and 77 minutes to add to Marcus Berg’s first half opener to lift Hamburg to a 3-1 win over Vfb Stuttgart to maintain their hold on fourth place.

Van Nistelrooy left Real Madrid on a free transfer in the January transfer window and has made an instant impression for his new team despite being well short of full fitness after spending much of the season in Spain on the bench.

http://www.soccernews.com/van-nistelrooy-at-the-double-for-hamburg/30428/

[Matzel]

Crappy video of 'Van the Man' scoring to make it 2-zip against RSC (at home, 1st leg, round of the last 16). Nicely done from that angle.

[gollybass]

great defending there looks about as good as Porto against Arsenal