FC St. Pauli returns from training camp and plans with its World Cup players

FC St. Pauli has concluded its training camp in Austria and returned to Hamburg on Saturday. After a 1:4 defeat against English Premier League side AFC Bournemouth, coach Marcel Rapp (47) gave the players Sunday and Monday off. This particularly affects World Cup participants Eric Smith (29), Jackson Irvine (33) and Connor Metcalfe (26), who received special leave.

What's next for the World Cup players?

Coach Marcel Rapp explained on the club's YouTube channel that Eric Smith will immediately resume training. The Swede, still linked with a potential transfer, completed individual sessions in Flachau and was not used in the test against Bournemouth. Irvine and Metcalfe are expected back early next week and will join training mid-week.

Why the three-week break?

Rapp emphasized that it makes no sense to call the players back early just to have them available for the first match. "A season is simply longer. It makes no sense to say the players want to play but can't because they're still tired from the World Cup. That's why we gave them three weeks off. So they come back fresh and fit."

What does this mean for the season opener?

None of the World Cup players will be available for the official season opener against RC Deportivo de A Coruña this coming Saturday. They are also unlikely to start in the first Bundesliga match against Fürth on August 9 (1:30 PM).

FC St. Pauli finished last season in 16th place in the Bundesliga with 26 points from 30 matches (6 wins, 8 draws, 16 losses). The next game is scheduled for February 20, 2027, against VfL Wolfsburg.