Hendry Blank has officially been signed to play for German club Hannover 96. Here are five facts about the 20-year-old, along defender with some highlights in the video.
Hendry Blank is now a Hannover resident.
Acquaintance: In Hannover, Blank will meet a familiar face. The defender played alongside new signing Franz Roggow at Borussia Dortmund II in 2023. He narrowly missed out on another acquaintance: Nicolo Tresoldi, who recently joined Club Bruges, knows Blank from the U21 national team.
Honor:
Nicolo Tresoldi isn't the only contact point in the U21 team with a black, white, and green past. In his debut in the European Championship qualifier against Poland on October 15, 2024, Blank came on as a substitute after halftime for former 96 player Bright Arrey-Mbi. "The guys welcomed me very warmly – including Nicolo and Bright," Blank recalls. Playing for the national team was "a huge honor" for him and "a childhood dream come true."
Dream:
Blank played one of his four Champions League matches at the Santiago Bernabéu against Real Madrid at the end of January 2025 – playing the full 90 minutes in a duel with Kylian Mbappé and Co. "That, along with my Bundesliga debut, was one of the best moments for me in football so far," the 20-year-old reflects.
"It seemed almost surreal: As a little boy, I played a lot of FIFA, and then when you see the stadium and compete with those players – it's a dream come true."
Role models:
On the pitch, Blank admires Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk. "In terms of his style of play, he's the best for me," Blank reveals. "He has a certain aura." Off the pitch, his father is his role model. "He radiates every day how I should behave," he says with a smile. "I'm very grateful for that."
Hobbies:
Like his new teammate Bastian Allgeier, Blank enjoys playing padel tennis in his free time. "Otherwise, I like to meet up with my friends and play a round of PlayStation," says the 1.89-meter-tall defender.
