Overview
- Mario Vuskovic makes his first on-field appearance for Hamburger SV in more than four years in a friendly against Hajduk Split on Sunday, November 15, 2026, with over 50,000 spectators expected.
- His return follows a 2023 positive EPO test that led the DFB sport court to impose a two-year ban later extended to four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, after which HSV dissolved his original contract to limit legal and commercial exposure.
- HSV, teammates and a large segment of the fanbase maintained visible public support during the suspension through banners, visits and high merchandise sales, and Hamburg’s Croatian community is staging a fanfest ahead of the match.
- Coaching and medical staff say they will monitor live training and match data closely, limit playing time as needed, and have described Vuskovic’s physical condition as ‘exceptionally good’ after intensive individual work.
- The club will judge next steps from the test match performance, with a potential spot in the squad for the Nordderby at Werder Bremen one week later representing the clearest short-term outcome to watch.