Legendary Hamburger SV physio Hermann Rieger has been honoured with a statue outside the stadium, on the first anniversary of his death.
Rieger sadly passed away on February 18th 2014, after a battle with cancer, at the age of 73. For 26 years, from 1978 to 2004, he worked as a physiotherapist for HSV and was known for his upbeat and warm personality.
So, in his memory, the club arranged for a statue to be erected in his honour. At a cost of €30,000 which was raised through the club and fans, Spanish artist Pedro Requejo Novoa spent five months creating the 1.90 metre tall, 180 kilogram tribute.
He is pictured with his trademark thumbs up, with Novoa saying this about the statue: "During the process of production and research, I found that he always radiated a lot of warmth and hard work. For that, I have a lot of respect. Therefore, it was an honor to be able to create this work."
Jens Meier, the recently elected president at HSV, added: "He always had a confident and positive aura, which can be an example for everyone."
The first team were also at the event, along with head coach Josef Zinnbauer. Such was Rieger's influence on the club, he even had his own fan club.
CEO Dietmar Beiersdorfer spoke in front of the 100 invited guests and, amongst other things, kept it simple: "We miss Hermann Rieger. I am glad that I can see him every day again."
Quotes via HSV.de