HSV is starting again at the REWE JUNIORCUP in Göttingen – final in sight!

HSV is starting again at the REWE JUNIORCUP in Göttingen – final in sight!

On October 12, 2025 there will be high-profile news from the football world: The FIRMLY. GmbH has announced Hamburger SV's participation in the 35th REWE JUNIORCUP. This tournament, which will take place from January 8th to 11th, 2026 in the Lokhalle Göttingen, is considered Europe's largest U19 indoor football tournament. This is HSV's 24th participation, and the anticipation among coach Oliver Krause and his team is palpable.

Tournament director Holger Jortzik is extremely positive about the participation of Hamburger SV, which is currently shining in the U19 DFB youth league with 18 points from 6 games (goal difference 20:6). Interestingly, the club was eliminated in the first round of the DFB Cup against FC Energie Cottbus and has had a learning experience behind it; In the last CUP, HSV failed in the intermediate round due to goal difference to PSV Eindhoven and Mainz 05. The year before, the team ended up in the final, but had to admit defeat to Austria Vienna.

Participants and expectations

HSV will be joined by numerous other well-known participants in the tournament. The confirmations so far include Fortuna Düsseldorf, FC Brugge, Schalke 04 and 1. FSV Mainz 05. The A-junior district league team SVG Einbeck from the Northeim-Einbeck district will also take part. This team has already taken part in the tournament seven times. In their best time, they secured the title of “Best Regio” in 2006 and reached the quarter-finals. This season, SVG Einbeck was able to achieve two wins in the first games of the District League South before being eliminated from the District Cup. Offensive player Hadis Bilalovski has already scored eight goals and coach Pascal Thormann is highly motivated for the tournament.

Another participant, VfR Dostluk Osterode, is going into their second participation with great enthusiasm after their debut at the last CUP, where they won the Fair Play title. However, the current position in the district league is challenging for the team, with only three points and a goal difference of 10:26 in 11th place. Coaches Peter and Lukas Bode and captain Adel Hamdan are still confident as they work towards the tournament.

On course to win – Mainz and Austria Vienna

1. FSV Mainz 05, third last year, is one of the favorites and remains unbeaten in the DFB U19 youth league. They are taking part in the tournament for the 15th time, while Austria Vienna is taking part in its 21st participation as record winners and Youth League participants. After five wins in 20 participations, they narrowly failed to secure their second “triple” at the last CUP. Teams like these already bring anticipation and excitement that make the tournament unforgettable.

These developments are part of a larger trend in German football; youth work is becoming increasingly important. More and more Bundesliga clubs are investing in youth players from abroad in order to increase the quality in the youth training centers and to lead the German national teams back to the top of the world. The efforts to improve training and talent development will also be noticeable at this tournament, where the young talents can showcase themselves. The entire football community can be excited to see what talents and surprises the REWE JUNIORCUP 2026 has in store. Further information can be found on the official tournament website REWE JUNIO CUP.