Trochowski targeting trophies with Hamburg

Hamburger SV's star may not shine as brightly as it once did, but the UEFA Cup hopefuls have made a decent start on all fronts this year and midfielder Piotr Trochowski feels they may well end the season with another piece of silverware in their cabinet.

Past glories
Hamburg rose to the very pinnacle of the European game in 1983, when a team coached by Ernst Happel and starring Felix Magath in midfield overcame Juventus in Athens, but their most recent major trophy dates back 21 years to their third German Cup. Far too long for some, yet with summer appointment Martin Jol in the dugout they have looked competitive so far this term. Fifth and five points off the top in the Bundesliga, through to the third round of the German Cup and with a win from their sole UEFA Group F outing, there is optimism that the club can add to their list of honours.

Three fronts
"A title is possible in all three competitions," explained Trochowski, who grew up in Hamburg after moving from Poland at the age of five. "We mustn't forget about the Bundesliga race this autumn. It's a long way to go in the UEFA Cup and first we have to survive the group stage, which is not easy. The simplest way to secure a title may be the German Cup as we only have to win four more games to lift that trophy."

EURO memories
Capped 18 times by Germany and an unused member of Joachim Löw's UEFA EURO 2008™ squad, the 24-year-old has seen the euphoria that success can bring close up, and unsurprisingly he wants a taste himself. "That is of course the goal; that's why you become a footballer," he said. "We're not playing for fun; we're full of ambition to win a title and celebrate a big achievement. When you see other teams raising silverware, as happened to me during the EURO, it gives you goose-bumps watching it. And that's something I want to experience first-hand."

Consistency needed
For that to happen, the former FC Bayern München player admits Hamburg must improve. Some indifferent displays undermined their championship chances last year and two defeats in their last four league outings suggests lessons have not been learned. "We can't allow ourselves to be as inconsistent as we were in the Bundesliga last season," said Trochowski. "Sometimes, we make it difficult for ourselves and throw away games. If we want to make it to the top, we have to be more consistent and more intelligent." Hamburg entertain AFC Ajax tonight in UEFA Cup Group F, and would be well placed to reach the knockout stages with a home win.