Hamburger SV have to approach the new season without playmaker Rafael van der Vaart. Here's what coach Martin Jol had to say in an interview.
Question: Martin Jol, Rafael van der Vaart left on Monday. How did you experience his departure?
Martin Jol: It wasn't surprising in the end. We wished him the best of luck and so did he. He had three excellent years here in Hamburg. But it's a diificult moment if you lose your best player, of course.
Question: How heavy is the loss?
Jol: Rafael van der Vaart has scored 29 goals in 74 Bundesliga games and created 19 more. It's a severe loss if you lose half of your productivity. There are just a few players of his quality in Europe, as I've often stressed. But HSV are such a big club. We're not dependent on a single player. We will do everything to stay attractive and compensate for the lost quality.
Question: How do you want to replace him?
Jol: We played without Rafael van der Vaart at the weekend. We have several other good players. Players like David Jarolim or Nigel de Jong are irreplacable, too. Our midfielders could be more dangerous. If we take that to heart, we can score many goals. But you shouldn't expect us to score 30 goals more without van der Vaart. Additionally we have a lot of young players who have to show that they can convert their talent.
Source: Hamburger SV
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