Hamburger vs Koln preview - Olic makes Hamburg return

Ivica Olic returns to the Volksparkstadion this Saturday, and he will be wearing a Hamburg shirt again with his transfer from Wolfsburg going through on Friday.

The 35-year-old spent two and a half years with Hamburg, scoring 48 goals in 115 games before moving south to Bayern Munich.

He returned to the north of Germany to join Wolfsburg in 2012, but now he has come back to Hamburg.

"I trained as usual for Wolfsburg because training's always good and at the end of the session, (coach) Dieter Hecking sent me to the manager (Klaus Allofs), who told me that I could go home - to Hamburg," Olic told the Hamburger Morgenpost.

"I'm happy. Very happy. This is a new challenge for me and I'm grateful for it.

"I trained all the time for Wolfsburg and now I will show on the pitch for Hamburg why they brought me back and that I am still good enough to help the team."

Olic has left a side second in the table and pushing for the title, or at least a place in the Champions League next season, for one which could find itself in the second division next season.

"If I had ever thought of moving, then it would only have been to Hamburg," Olic said.

"They got in touch and told me that they desperately wanted me and that I should help get them out of this difficult situation, and that is what I want."

Hamburg go into Saturday's clash with Cologne sitting above the relegation zone only on goal difference.

They have improved, though, according to Cologne coach Peter Stoger, who added: "but so have we."

"We're going to be aiming to get something even from our away games," added the Austrian. "We want to take our chances and win this match."

After the final whistles, Stoger will turn his attention to trying to make the most of the final 48 hours of the transfer window to strengthen his side.

"Of course we would love to sign Carlos Eduardo, but we have always said that we have total faith in the squad we have got."