Niklas sat behind the big wooden desk in his study. The warm light from the lamp fell across the contract in his hands. This was Erik's birthday gift; not a car, not a watch, but control of Hamburger SV.
He leaned back in the chair and ran a hand through his hair. For years he had planned to start small. Get a job as a youth coach somewhere in the city, learn the ropes, and slowly work his way up. He knew that watching matches and studying tactics from 2026 was not enough. Real coaching needed real experience on the ground.
But now he owned the club. Or at least a controlling stake.
The thought made him smile and frown at the same time. How could he work for someone else when he owned the biggest club in Hamburg? It made no sense. People would laugh at him. Or they would treat every word he said like law even if he was only an assistant.
A soft knock sounded on the door.
Jonas stepped inside wearing a simple t-shirt and shorts, his hair still messy from the party. He grinned when he saw Niklas holding the papers.
"Too shocked to sleep?" Jonas asked.
Niklas let out a long breath. "I never thought I would own HSV."
Jonas raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You love the club, right? You always watched every match with us."
Niklas shook his head slowly. "I'm not a fan the way you think. Not the old way. I don't want blood and thunder football. I want something smarter."
Jonas stared at him, surprised. The brothers had never really spoken about this before. Everyone in the family simply assumed all Brandts bled white and red.
Jonas dropped onto the leather sofa near the window. "Erik bought the club two years ago through one of his investment companies. He kept everything quiet. HSV was already struggling. After they barely avoided relegation a few times, the price dropped hard. When they finally went down this season, Erik moved full control into your name. He wanted to surprise you."
Niklas looked back at the contract. "So the whole time… it was already ours?"
"Pretty much," Jonas said. "On paper it still looked like an investment firm owned it. No big changes at the club. But now it's officially yours."
Niklas stayed quiet for a while. In the last few years he had followed HSV's results even when he told himself not to. He always said the old style was dying, but deep down he kept checking the scores. Maybe some part of him still cared about the Dinosaur after all.
A few days later, Niklas and Jonas sat together in the stands at the Volksparkstadion. It was the last home match of the season. The atmosphere felt heavy and sad. HSV had just been relegated. Fans sang the old songs, but many faces looked tired and angry.
After the final whistle, the players walked off the pitch with their heads down. Niklas and Jonas made their way toward the press area. A small group of reporters and club staff stood around talking in low voices.
Niklas walked straight onto the small stage where press conferences usually happened. A few people tried to stop him, but Jonas quietly showed some papers to the security guards. The room slowly fell silent.
Niklas took the microphone.
"My name is Niklas Brandt," he said in a clear, steady voice. "Two years ago, my family's company bought Hamburger SV. Today, full control has been transferred to me. From this moment, I am the owner of the club."
Cameras flashed and people whispered in disbelief. One reporter dropped his notebook in shock.
Niklas kept his voice calm and strong. "This club has fallen. But it will rise again. And it will rise my way. In the next week, I want every member of the current first-team coaching staff to hand in their resignation. We are starting fresh."
He stepped down from the stage without answering any questions. Jonas followed him into the hallway, eyes wide.
"You really went for it," Jonas said with a nervous laugh. "That was ice cold."
Niklas stopped walking and turned to his brother. "I need your help with something else. Within a week, prepare the papers. I'm going to borrow eighty million euros from Erik."
Jonas blinked hard. "Eighty million? For what?"
"To rebuild," Niklas answered. "New staff. New training methods. And soon… new players. The ones nobody sees coming yet."
They walked out of the stadium together into the warm Hamburg night. Outside, small groups of fans were still singing. Some sounded angry, others hopeful. Niklas stopped for a moment and looked at the old brick walls of the Volksparkstadion.
The Dinosaur was at its lowest point which was perfect for him. No one expected anything from them right now. That gave him the space he needed to tear everything down and build it stronger than before.
He was twenty-eight years old, with knowledge from 2026 burning in his head.
And now he owned the club he would turn into Europe's biggest nightmare.
A small, determined smile crossed his face as he and Jonas walked toward the car. The Rise of Hamburg had just begun.