[2] Hamburg hired Armin Veh as their new head coach after sacking Bruno Labbadia near the end of last season[3][4] and appointed Bastian Reinhardt as their new sports director.

[5] Hamburg were interested in a number of big name players, including Rafinha of Schalke 04,[6] Michael Ballack, who Chelsea deemed surplus,[7][8] Serdar Tasci of VfB Stuttgart[9] and Jaroslav Drobný.

[17] A group of fans protested against recent results outside the club headquarters by demanding Bernd Hoffmann resignation.

[17] Wigan Athletic contacted Hamburg about a possible loan move for Dutch winger Eljero Elia.

[22] On 5 February 2011, Hamburg and St. Pauli fans fought each other after the match between the two clubs was postponed due to rain.

[15] Police and stadium workers had discovered fireworks attached to seats in the stands of Imtech Arena in the days leading up to the originally scheduled match.

[25] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.