FC St. Pauli's Eric Smith sees parallels between the current difficult phase and the club's promotion year of 2023. The Swedish midfielder expressed confidence in the team's season objectives following the 2:2 draw against Arminia Bielefeld, a result that leaves St. Pauli in 16th place in the 2. Bundesliga with just two points from three matches.
The 29-year-old Swede, who stayed at the club despite transfer speculation, started as a defensive midfielder against Bielefeld and delivered some good passes. Under coach Fabian Hürzeler, the team earned its third point of the current campaign, having previously suffered two defeats and a draw. This leaves St. Pauli seven points behind league leaders 1. FC Nürnberg. The season's tally so far shows four goals scored and five conceded.
Why is Eric Smith so optimistic looking forward?
Smith's confidence is rooted in a specific past experience. "Three years ago we started similarly to now," the player told reporters. "Back then, I think we had six draws in a row at the start. And then came the ketchup effect." In that 2023/24 season, St. Pauli indeed began with four draws in the first five games after one win and were in ninth place after five matchdays. They eventually achieved a surprise promotion to the Bundesliga.
The midfielder emphasized his satisfaction with the performance against Bielefeld. "First of all, I'm proud of the team. We got into the right spaces, played dominantly overall." At the same time, he acknowledged that there is still room for improvement in the details. The team has made progress, however. The current league standings illustrate the urgent need for action.
How does the end of transfer speculation affect Smith?
The summer break was marked by intense speculation about a move away for Eric Smith. The end of this period has had a tangible effect on the player. He feels liberated and can now fully focus on his role as a key player and leader within the squad. This mental clarity is important for the tasks ahead.
His return to the starting lineup against Bielefeld showed his importance to the team. Smith could, it is hoped, be the player to trigger the mentioned 'ketchup effect' in the upcoming match. The full lineup and further player data can be found on our squad page.
What does this mean for the next match against Wolfsburg?
The next opportunity to break the negative run comes on Saturday, September 12, 2026. FC St. Pauli will host VfL Wolfsburg at the Millerntor-Stadion. Kick-off is at 20:30, and the match will be broadcast on Sky and RTL. It's a major challenge for St. Pauli, as Wolfsburg has started strongly and currently sits third in the table.
A win against such an opponent would be a strong signal and could initiate the turnaround. The team must get its defensive issues under control, having conceded five goals in three games. All upcoming fixtures for the season are listed in the fixtures calendar. The home game against Wolfsburg is the next chance to secure the desperately needed three points and move away from 16th place.
