Bundesliga
Merlin Polzin led his boyhood club Hamburg back to the Bundesliga at the end of the 2024/25 season, having endured a longer than expected stay in the second tier. bundesliga.com takes a closer look at the young coach behind the Red Shorts' return to the big time...
Stats correct as of 30 May 2025
Age: 34 (born 7 November 1990)
Club: Hamburg
Role: Head coach
Country: Germany
Key stats
A Hamburg native, Polzin grew up in the Bramfeld area where he played for the local club, Bramfelder SV, in the fifth and sixth tiers of German football before retiring at just 20, in 2011.
Although his playing career didn’t quite take off, his coaching career certainly did, and he joined Hamburg’s academy as a coach immediately after retiring, where he spent two years before departing.
His next stop was VfL Osnabrück, where he coached at various levels over the following six years. He started off as an assistant to current Fortuna Düsseldorf boss Daniel Thioune with the club’s U17 side, before taking charge himself in 2016.
He spent just one season in the role, before Thioune promoted him to his assistant for the club’s first team at the end of 2017, leading him to coach the likes of Felix Agu and Steffen Tigges. Thioune and Polzin led Osnabrück to the Bundesliga 2 in the 2018/19 season, which caught the attention of Polzin’s boyhood club, Hamburg.
Thioune was appointed as manager of the Red Shorts for the 2020/21 season and naturally brought Polzin with him. Following Thioune’s dismissal toward the end of the season, Polzin opted to stay, becoming assistant first to Tim Walter and then to Horst Hrubesch.
Aside from one game in charge temporarily in the 2023/24 season, Polzin spent four years as an assistant coach at the club, before being handed the caretaker position once again following Steffen Baumgart’s dismissal in November 2024.
After four games unbeaten, he was handed the permanent manager role in December of that year, and has since led Hamburg back to the Bundesliga after a seven-year long wait. His time in charge has seen him lose just four of 21 games in charge.
Watch: Hamburg's promotion pain comes to an end
Did you know?
At 34, Polzin in the youngest coach across both the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2.
Coaches a bit like: Sebastian Hoeneß
Although still very early on into his managerial career, Polzin has exhibited some traits similar to that of the current Stuttgart boss. Both favour attacking football, with Polzin’s Hamburg seeing plenty of the ball, but not without purpose. Much like the Swabians, HSV look to use that possession wisely, getting the ball into dangerous areas quickly.
What they’re saying
“We’ve seen clear development during the four weeks of training, which we want to continue and build on in 2025. Merlin and his assistants have the team’s full confidence, as well as ours too.” - Hamburg sporting director Stefan Kuntz
"Merlin has surprised everyone with his analyses, whether in the third division or later with Aaron Hunt at HSV. He immediately grasps the content." - former Hamburg and current Düsseldorf head coach Daniel Thioune
"Merlin and his coaching team have made us better as a team. He checks in with everyone every day. Really all of them. This makes everyone feel valued and gives us a good feeling in the dressing room." - Hamburg goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes