Seeler blasts Arnesen

Frank Arnesen: Received criticism following Hamburg's poor start to the campaign

Former Hamburg and Germany player Uwe Seeler has hit out at director of sport Frank Arnesen over the current state of the club.

Hamburg are the only team to have remained in the top flight of German football since its inception 50 years ago, but they only just finished above the relegation zone in 15th last season.

This season the club have already been knocked out of the German Cup in the first round to third-division opponents Karlsruher and started the Bundesliga campaign with a 1-0 home defeat by Nurnberg.

Seeler says the alarm bells are already ringing and has hit out at Arnesen, believing the squad needs improving.

Quite concerned

"I am quite concerned because I cannot see any improvements at all," said Seeler in Die Welt newspaper. "And that is what the director of sport is judged on.

"But all he keeps repeating is that the team is developing, and that somebody else is coming, then somebody else.

"When I hear that or read that, I just shake my head.

"We have players who are not good enough for the Bundesliga, it is as simple as that."

He added: "We need a creative player who can move around the midfield, a poacher who can cause problems in the penalty area and somebody to stabilise the defence.

"What I saw against Nurnberg was even worse than last season."