Professionals, 17. August 2018
The trend
Hansa Rostock have already played four games in the '3. Liga' this season. With two wins in the 'Ostseestadion' against relegated second division clubs Eintracht Braunschweig and Wehen-Wiesbaden, the side from the Hanseatic city have proven a force to be reckoned with at home. On their travels, Hansa lost out in Cottbus on the opening day and were beaten in Unterhaching last Saturday. On six points, Rostock are currently in tenth place in the table.
The coach
Pavel Dotchev has been head coach of the 'Kogge' since May 2017 and guided Hansa to a sixth-place finish last season. During his active playing career in the 90s, the then central-defender played for Hamburger SV, ZSKA Sofia, Holstein Kiel and SC Paderborn, where he also began his coaching career.
The former Cannstatter
Hansa striker Pascal Breier wore the shirt with the infamous hoop for ten years in VfB’s youth and then reserve teams. In 155 competitive games in the '3. Liga' and 'Regionalliga', the front-man scored 36 goals for the Wasenelf. Born in Nürtingen, the attacker has been in Rostock’s starting eleven for all four league games, scoring his first goal for the club in the 3-2 victory over Wiesbaden ten days ago.
The glory days
The club enjoyed it’s most successful period during the 90s. In 1991, in the final season of the now defunct East German league, Hansa pulled off a league and domestic cup double. In 1995, Hansa won the second division, and finished in sixth place in the Bundesliga in 1996 and again in 1998. The club from the Hanseatic city played their last Bundesliga season in 2007/2008.
The stadium
The old ‘Ostseestadion’ opened its gates in 1954, boasting a capacity of 18,000. Following reconstruction in 2000 and 2001, Hansa’s home ground now provides places for some 29,000 spectators (20,000 seats and 9,000 standing places).
