Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96 (IPA: [haˈnoːfɐ ˌzɛksʔʊntˈnɔʏntsɪç]), Hannover, HSV (although this may cause confusion with Hamburger SV) or simply 96, is a German professional football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony.