Mario Vuskovic is returning to training with HSV on Tuesday afternoon, marking his first step back with the club after a four-year doping suspension.
The session will be open to the public in the North Stand of the Volksparkstadion, and it is a notable first for HSV: the club has never before held an open training session inside its main stadium. The move gives supporters a direct view of Vuskovic's return and adds another visible moment to a case that has stretched across several years.
How the suspension unfolded
Vuskovic's case began in November 2022, when he received a provisional suspension after testing positive for EPO during a training session with Hamburger SV. The DFB initially handed him a two-year ban, but CAS later doubled the suspension to four years following appeals by WADA.
His playing ban ends on November 16, 2026.
The timeline has made Vuskovic one of the most closely followed figures around HSV in recent seasons. He joined Hamburg from Hajduk Split in 2021 after playing for Croatia at the Under-21 European Championship, and his absence has remained a major storyline for both the club and its supporters.
Support from HSV has remained visible
During the suspension, HSV fans showed support through Free Vuskovic stickers and banners, while teammates regularly held up his number 44 jersey after scoring goals. That backing has been a defining part of the story, and Merlin Polzin acknowledged the human side of what Vuskovic and his family have gone through.
Polzin said the mental strain on Vuskovic and the wider family was something he would not wish on anyone, and he also pointed to the way the HSV family has stayed together. In his words, it has been outstanding.
For HSV, Tuesday's public training session is more than a routine workout. It is a public sign that Vuskovic is back in the building, and a reminder of how long the club has waited for this moment.
