Beckenbauer: Hamburg are going down
Bayern Munich's honorary president Franz Beckenbauer has written off Hamburg's chances of avoiding relegation this season, saying their Bundesliga permanence is nearing its conclusion.
The northern Germany club are the only founding member of the Bundesliga never to have been relegated from the top flight. With six games of the season remaining, they are currently two points behind the relegation play-off berth they occupied at the end of last season - when they stayed up by beating Greuther Furth over two legs - and four adrift of absolute safety.
"I just can't see any source of hope," Beckenbauer said on Tuesday, reports sport1.de. "I'm absolutely devastated."
Beckenbauer played for Hamburg between 1980 and 1982, finishing runner-up to Bayern Munich in his first season and winning the title the following year. They have slumped in recent years and now seriously risk seeing their unblemished top-flight record ruined.
If they carry on playing the way they have been playing, then next year they're going to find themselves in the second division.Bayern Munich honorary president Franz Beckenbauer
"You could see already last year that they're lacking substance," Beckenbauer said. "But when I see them now, I cannot see anything which suggests they could stay up.
"If they carry on playing the way they have been playing, then next year they're going to find themselves in the second division."
New coach Peter Knabel has lost his first two matches in charge, but he has ruled out any further changes in personnel this season. He is already the third coach after Mirko Slomka and Josef Zinnbauer.
"That's already a sign that they are insecure," Beckenbauer said. "Everything's all so confused and unclear."