In 1919, Hamburg was established through the merging of three football clubs in the city. This resulted in Hamburg SV having four official club colors, all of which are incorporated in the current home kit. The team has been a member of the Bundesliga since it was officially launched as the national league. Hamburg SV has never competed in any other league besides the Bundesliga. The team’s most successful period was in the 1980s, when they won the national league twice and the Europa Cup once.

Hamburg has been using the Volksparstadium as their home stadium since 1963. In 1998, they moved to a new venue with a capacity of 57,000, now known as the Imtech Arena. Due to international regulations, the capacity for European games is limited to 51,500.

Former players who have played for Hamburg SV include: Van der Vaart, Beckenbauer, Ze Roberto, Guerrero, and Felix Magath.