Mario Vuskovic returns for HSV on 15 November after four-year doping ban

Four-year ban ends before Sunday friendly

Mario Vuskovic's suspension for EPO doping expires on 15 November 2026, the day Hamburger SV has scheduled his return in a friendly against his home club Hajduk Split. It will be his first appearance in 1,467 days, counted from his last match. The HSV expects more than 50,000 spectators at the Volksparkstadion, and kick-off is at 15:00, with the match shown on Sky. Vuskovic has always insisted on his innocence, and he is still not allowed to speak publicly about the case while the ban applies. Thousands of fans already watched his first training session in September, and he will take over the number 44 shirt.

Coach and family react

Head coach Merlin Polzin said the squad is looking forward to the return, while admitting that it is hard to judge what the moment will trigger in the player.

“We are all just incredibly looking forward to it.”

Polzin also said the club does not want to put pressure on Vuskovic, who he expects will set himself under considerable stress because he wants to perform well.

“We will not give him anything, and he does not want that either.”

The number 44 shirt was worn last season by his younger brother Luka, who was on loan at the club and was instrumental as a defensive leader in its survival. Luka now plays for Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, and he will follow the friendly from a distance because he is playing for Croatia in the Nations League on Sunday evening in Osijek against the Czech Republic.

“It means a great deal to all of us in the family, but for him it is something quite different.”

An open question for the Bundesliga

Whether Vuskovic can meet Bundesliga demands after such a long layoff is still unknown, and stern describes the comeback as an experiment with an open outcome. A league return could come after the international break, and the first chance would be the North German derby at Werder Bremen on 22 November. Polzin said Vuskovic will have to compete with the other players in his position, and that his appearances must be earned through performance. Vuskovic's first training session in September drew thousands of fans, but the sporting test will come only once he is back in competitive matches.

Documentary premiere in Hamburg

A documentary titled 'Akte Vuskovic - Doping. Skandal. Zweifel.' has its world premiere on Monday, 16 November, at the Cinemaxx cinema at Hamburg Dammtor station, one day after the friendly. The screening falls on Vuskovic's 25th birthday, which stern describes as more a coincidence than a plan. The case has not yet reached its happy ending, according to the same reporting.