There will be European Cup football in the Volkspark again in the new season! After the Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk played its three home games in the Champions League group stage and one Europa League playoff match in the HSV Arena last season, an agreement has now been reached with the capital club Dynamo Kiev. The deal had already leaked out, and now it has been officially announced. And it means that an old friend of Lionel Messi will soon be playing in the Volksparkstadion.
In the reformed Europa League format, Dynamo Kiev will first host the traditional Italian club Lazio Rome in Hamburg on September 25th. This is the club where the now 37-year-old Spaniard Pedro is under contract. The winger had previously played for AS Roma, Chelsea FC and FC Barcelona in his career – and at the latter club he played alongside Messi for many years. Pedro and the Argentinian superstar have played together on the pitch an incredible 270 times in their careers. Pedro will soon be coming to the Volkspark.
Dynamo Kiev plays Euro League games at HSV
Dynamo will also play its first four international home games against Ferencvaros Budapest from Hungary (November 7), against Viktoria Pilsen from the Czech Republic (November 28) and against Rigas Futbola Skola from Latvia (January 30, 2024) in the Volkspark. The contracts were signed on Wednesday after UEFA had already listed the Volkspark as the Ukrainian club’s Europa League home ground. “We have received a lot of encouragement for supporting Ukraine and are very happy to continue to answer this question of attitude and to offer a home ground to a club affected by the war,” said board member Eric Huwer on the HSV website.
Some of the HSV ultras recently expressed massive criticism in the form of banners about the fact that the club had rented out its stadium not only to Shakhtar Donetsk, but also to DFB Cup participant Phoenix Lübeck. “You vultures!” was one of the slogans read at a home game directed at the HSV board. The fourth division team from Lübeck then lost 1:4 to Borussia Dortmund in the Volkspark two and a half weeks ago.
Dynamo has problem fans: This is what HSV boss Huwer says
“We are aware of the problematic parts of the fan scene, but we also believe in the power of sport and the values lived in our Volkspark, which we will also clearly represent in this context,” says Huwer, but he is not referring to the HSV ultras, but to some Kiev supporters who are considered problematic.
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As it did for Shakhtar last season, HSV will be responsible for the complete organization of Dynamo’s European Cup matches at the Volkspark. And that includes ticket sales: pre-sales for home game packages for HSV members will begin this Thursday (5 September) at 10 a.m., before general pre-sales start at 12 p.m. With a view to Dynamo’s first home game against ex-Barça star Pedro and Lazio Rome, individual pre-sales will begin next Monday (9 September).
