<font size="2"><span class="titolo">Hamburg Planning On Joining Elite</span></font></p> <span class="sommario">Hamburg's chairman Bernd Hoffmann has revealed he thinks the club can establish itself as one of Europe's top clubs. </span> </p> Speaking in an interview with Kicker, Hoffmann underlined the club's ambition despite last season's brush with Bundesliga relegation.</p> "I think we are still moving in the right direction" he said.</p> "We are in Europe for the third time in a row. When I first said we wanted to be in the top-twenty we were ranked 143 and now we have moved up to 60.</p> "With all respect to clubs like as Alkmaar and Villarreal, if they are in the top-twenty, then we have to aim to be there too." </p> Hoffmann admitted to disagreements with sport director Dietmar Beiersdorfer when the club were struggling in the first half of last season, but now believes that the former Bayern Munich player is the right man to keep the club moving forward.</p> "All I can say is that any decision against continuity would, in my opinion be wrong.</p> "I am glad that the supervisory board shares my opinion. At least they have given me signals in this direction." </p> Beiersdorfer's current contract expires in March 2008, but is expected to be extended in due course.</p> </p> </p> </p>
I too think they can be better than Villarreal for example. They're probably two or three players away from it.
