Torsten Jansen walks the 30 meters from the office over to the hall alone, apparently lost in thought.

But when a long-time companion crosses his path, Jansen's face brightens.

The game of his HSV Hamburg against SG Flensburg-Handewitt begins in 25 minutes on this Sunday afternoon.

But there was no trace of tension at Jansen.

He takes the time to talk and ends the chatter by saying that he will soon want to take more time.

Starry airs are largely unknown in handball.

Jansen took that to the extreme.

In his years as a professional and coach, he has remained himself, grounded by his family with four children.

This can be complicated for the media.

After his first game as coach of a Bundesliga team, he let expectations run wild at the end of September.

A game as head coach in the first division against FA Göppingen, surely something special?

“It's handball.

Like it was just handball in the second division, ”Jansen replied motionless, rather shrugging because he really doesn't see any difference between his work here and there.

The 44-year-old world champion from 2007 has been training HSV since 2016. He ended his playing career at THW Kiel because of persistent calf problems.

After almost a year in the offspring of the Hamburg handball club, Jansen took over the "first".

He couldn't climb the climb any more.

Third place went to HSV.

Return without a diamond on the chest

A year later it went up to the second division.

The people of Hamburg stayed there for three years.

Jansen built up his team.

Calm, analytical.

Without a lot of fuss.

The ascent was successful.

Five and a half years after bankruptcy, HSV returned to the Bundesliga in June.

With a team of the nameless.

Without the diamond on the chest.

As a much smaller version of the heavyweight that once chased Kiel and Flensburg.

HSV would like to be perceived as a likeable competitor.

Not as a big-cocked club from the metropolis.

Jansen stands for that too.

In this so far surprisingly good season with victories over the Löwen, the team from Wetzlar and Stuttgart, Jansen relies on the promotion team.

Playmaker Leif Tissier, circle runner Niklas Weller, Jan Forstbauer in the back room: Hardly anyone would have trusted the novices to continue so unimpressed in the Bundesliga.

The cohesion of the troop is phenomenal - the core was already in the Hamburg / Schleswig-Holstein league in 2016 in the HSV jersey.

Six players in the promotion squad were developed in their own youth.

It is essential to avoid taking steps that are too large in order to prevent another collapse.

The project has already missed bankruptcy twice.

After the insolvency of the Profi-GmbH, the sponsoring association HSV was about to end in 2016.

Private donors ensured survival.

Among them the current Vice President Martin Schwalb as well as President Marc Evermann and Managing Director Sebastian Frecke.

Without the money from the Hamburg patron Alexander Otto, the club would have turned off the lights immediately.

It became tight a second time in 2018 in the second division.

As a second division representative, the salary volume increased without the budget growing with it.

Evermann helped with his own money.

Something is growing together

Meanwhile free of contaminated sites, the HSV arouses desires in Hamburg.

More than 6000 fans came against SG Flensburg on Sunday, GWD Minden is coming this Sunday (4 p.m. on Sky).

The sponsorship of the shipping company Hapag-Lloyd is expected to bring in 400,000 euros.

The budget stands at four million euros - a proud sum for a climber.

Good work is going on in the background.

In the summer, Jansen and Schwalb brought in actors who helped immediately.

Goalkeeper Johannes Bitter, with whom Jansen still played at HSV.

Casper Mortensen from Barcelona for left winger.

Manuel Späth as a defensive edge.

Azat Valiullin for the back room.

All of them are over 30 years old, know the league, and are there to take care of the boys, to give them security.

Left-hander Nicolai Theilinger, signed from Göppingen, was unable to play because of a knee injury.

Something is growing together.

The audience is loyal, came in the third, then in the second division.

But handball is not a sure-fire success in Hamburg either: against the Füchse Berlin in the cup, only 1,600 fans paid admission.

Probably also because of the pandemic and the associated uncertainties.

It all has to work in again first.

The HSV runs eight times in the large arena in the Volkspark.

That actually reminds of the past, when Hamburg played the Champions League here.

The other nine home games take place in the old Alsterdorf sports hall - no glamor.

Torsten Jansen won't mind that much: for him it's just handball.

There as there.