Nicolai Remberg Appointed New Hamburg Captain, Succeeding Yussuf Poulsen

Hamburg's head coach, Merlin Polzin, has officially designated Nicolai Remberg as the club's new captain for the upcoming 2026/27 Bundesliga season. Remberg, formerly of Holstein Kiel, takes over from Yussuf Poulsen, whose debut season with Hamburg was significantly hampered by injuries, limiting him to just one Bundesliga start. Coach Polzin had previously indicated that the club was reassessing Poulsen's captaincy due to the experienced Danish player spending a considerable portion of the previous campaign sidelined.

Polzin announced this decision to the squad prior to Saturday's preseason friendly against Premier League side Everton, held at the Volksparkstadion. Remberg becomes the 33rd captain in HSV's history since the inception of the Bundesliga in 1963. Nicolas Capaldo and Albert Sambi Lokonga have been appointed as his deputies.

Poulsen will remain an integral part of the team's leadership structure, offering his support and mentorship to Remberg, Capaldo, and Lokonga. Having completed the full preseason program, the former RB Leipzig striker has already expressed his commitment to continuing to take on responsibility, regardless of whether he wore the captain's armband.

Nicolai Remberg's Ascent Recognized with Captaincy

Remberg's appointment marks a significant milestone in a remarkable career trajectory. At just 26 years old, he was playing in the Regionalliga with Preußen Münster as recently as 2022. He played a crucial role in the club's promotion to the 3. Liga, subsequently moving to Holstein Kiel where he was immediately involved in another successful promotion campaign. Remberg then featured in 32 Bundesliga matches for Kiel during the 2024/25 season before Hamburg secured his transfer.

During his inaugural season at the Volksparkstadion, Remberg increasingly took on leadership responsibilities and had already captained the team in Poulsen's absence. His leadership qualities were particularly evident following a heated Bundesliga encounter against Wolfsburg, where Remberg intervened in a post-match confrontation to support assistant coach Richard Krohn, who was surrounded by opposing players.

Remberg later explained his actions, stating he could not stand by while members of the coaching staff were left isolated during the altercation. He also publicly called for accountability from his own team during Hamburg's challenging fight against relegation.

Following another costly sending-off, Remberg characterized the club's disciplinary record as "unintelligent and stupid," urging the squad to revert to their intended style of play.

This official decision formally acknowledges the leadership role that Remberg had already begun to fulfill, even without permanently holding the captain's title.

Statements on the New Captaincy

"Rambo has incredibly high expectations of himself and tries to push his limits higher every day," stated HSV head coach Merlin Polzin in an official club release. (Polzin referred to Remberg by his nickname "Rambo." Incidentally, fellow HSV midfielder Nicolas Capaldo is known as "Rocky.")

"That performance mentality is something our HSV should represent so that we can all take the next step together," Polzin continued. "Yussi [Poulsen] helps the trio of Rambo, Nico, and Sambi – as well as the entire team – with his incredible international experience."

Remberg himself expressed his feelings about the new role: "It’s something very special for me to be the new HSV captain. My career never rose sharply, but it did progress steadily because I always worked on myself. That’s something I’ll continue to exemplify as captain. I want to lead as a person on and off the pitch and always demand that our team reaches 100 percent."