Hamburg target top-ten status

Back in the UEFA Champions League after a five-year absence, president Bernd Hoffmann wants to make Hamburger SV a top-ten European side within a decade.

Bigger targets
The 1982/83 European Champion Clubs' Cup winners return to European action with their Group G opener against Arsenal FC tonight, and while the players may be looking forward to a season of UEFA Champions League intrigue, the 46-year-old Hoffman has his sights set on even bigger targets in the future.

Ambitious president
The father of two sets of twins, Hoffman does not lack ambition. "It is time to set a new goal," he said nine months ago. "We want to establish ourselves as one of the top 20 clubs in Europe in the next five years and in the top ten in the next ten years." Thus far, things seem to be going to plan.

Qualifying task
With coach Thomas Doll having led Hamburg through a difficult third qualifying round tie against Spanish side CA Osasuna in order to reach the group stage, the north German club are now safely among Europe's top 32 and with plenty of excitement back at home, they are well placed to progress.

German giants
Regarded as one of the handful of German clubs with the potential to rank alongside traditional Bundesliga powerhouses FC Bayern München, spirits are high. "The whole city is extremely excited," defender Bastian Reinhardt told uefa.com. "For many of our players, this match is a career highlight."

Daunting tie
Even for a side with such huge ambition, Arsenal represent tough first-night opponents, but for their Swiss international Raphael Wicky, facing last season's UEFA Champions League finalists is almost a relief. "We can only win in this match against Arsenal," he said. "We have nothing to lose."

Cup defeat
The same was not true in domestic football when they added to a run of three Bundesliga draws with a 4-3 added time defeat against third division SV Stuttgarter Kickers in the German Cup at the weekend. That may have made Hoffman's ambitions seem slightly risible, but Wicky is determined to restore face against Arsenal. "Now we can answer our critics by proving our quality at the highest European level," he said.