Former Arsenal defender Johan Djourou has endured a tough campaign at HSV Hamburg.
Former Arsenal star Johan Djourou has topped off a tough campaign at HSV Hamburg by contributing to the club becoming the first Bundesliga side ever to record a total of 2,500 goals conceded.
The Swiss international centre-back initially joined the Gunners in 2004 as a defensive midfielder, before being used as a utility man by boss Arsene Wenger.
His progress in North London was often hampered by injuries, resulting in a loan spell at Birmingham City in 2007/08 before finally establishing himself in the first-team squad.
However, soon after dropping out of favour, Djourou first joined Hannover on loan before moving to fellow Bundesliga side Hamburg for the entire 2013/04 campaign.
A solid season ultimately prompted the Dinosaurs to execute the option to buy him permanently, though his inclusion has done little to patch up a leaky defence.
In 32 Bundesliga games, Hamburg have shipped a poor 48 goals – including an 8-0 loss to Bayern Munich – and their latest 1-1 draw with Freiburg on Friday created history for all of the wrong reasons.
28-year-old Djourou started the encounter in central defence, recording zero tackles and a rather disappointing 67.7% pass success rate in a nervy performance.
The draw keeps his side just two above the relegation zone in 14th spot, with a trip to bottom-placed Stuttgart next weekend taking on huge importance.
Hamburg have a rich history, with six Bundesliga titles and a European Cup success in 1983 to their name, however they find themselves in a real predicament, which is unacceptable for a club of their stature.
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