Hamburg's Fábio Vieira on joining the club permanently, Merlin Polzin and dealing with pressure
Having impressed on loan at Hamburg in 2025/26 with seven goals and five assists across 29 league appearances, Fábio Vieira made a permanent switch to the Volksparkstadion in the summer. Speaking to the Bundesliga, HSV’s midfield maestro spoke about what makes the Red Shorts so special, plus the importance of Merlin Polzin’s contract extension, and more.
Bundesliga: You joined HSV on loan from Arsenal in September 2025 and have now made a permanent switch, what makes the club special to you?
Vieira: “What I experienced here was amazing. All my family enjoyed it, too. It’s a really nice city and a really nice club. All the people around the city, and the fans are good people - they are always supporting us. It doesn’t matter if we win or lose, they’re always there for us. When you have a club and fans that love you, you feel much happier to join a club like this.”
Bundesliga: What convinced you that HSV was the right place for you?
Vieira: “The Bundesliga is really nice, it’s very competitive and there’s a lot of space to keep growing and developing. It’s the right place for me as well because I want to keep playing football. I want to do what I love the most, which is playing football, and I feel very comfortable here. When people like you, it’s much easier.”
Watch: Football - the Fábio Vieira way
Bundesliga: You made it clear from an early stage that you wanted to stay at the club beyond your loan spell. Why was that?
Vieira: “The coach always gives me the support that I need and gives me confidence. I had a good season, and I want to keep doing the same, or better.”
Watch: Vieira's last-gasp winner against VfB Stuttgart sparks bedlam
Bundesliga: Having guided HSV to Bundesliga safety in 2025/26, the club recently secured the long-term future of Polzin. How important was it that they extended his contract?
Vieira: “I think it was important. Merlin is a great man, and a great coach as well. I’m very happy that he’s renewed his contract. Everyone knows him, everyone knows the way he works, and the staff as well. Everyone is happy with him here.”
Bundesliga: He said recently that everyone has to “trust the process.” Do you agree with that, and what does it mean to you as a player?
Vieira: “It’s something that we speak about every day: trusting the process, trusting our teammates, trusting each other and helping each other, even away from the pitch as well. On the pitch, we’re a team that is always there for each other. If someone needs something on the pitch, we go there and help our teammate.”
Bundesliga: HSV secured their first win of the season on Matchday 4, beating Cologne 2-1. How important was the win, and what was different compared to previous games?
Vieira: “It was the attitude. We showed a different character with and without the ball. We had more desire to play and to win. We were more aggressive in every single duel and when we do that, we are much closer to winning the game.”
Bundesliga: You’re one of HSV’s key players. How do you deal with the pressure and the expectation to perform consistently at a high level?
Vieira: “To be fair, I don’t feel any pressure. I’m being honest, I don’t feel any pressure because I do what I love, which is playing football. When you’re happy, when you feel comfortable at a club and when you play football where you want to play football, everything is easier for you.
"Of course, we want to win as many games as we can and we want to have a good position in the table, but everything comes with your daily work, what we do on the pitch and in the training sessions. I would say this is the most important thing.”
Bundesliga: Hoffenheim finished fifth last season and are up next. What are your expectations for the game?
Vieira: “We all know that Hoffenheim have great players. We remember what happened last season when we played there and lost [4-1]. We know it will be a difficult game. They have a lot of quality, but I think we can also show a different face, as we showed in the last game against Cologne. We're ready to go there and we want to take the three points.”
