FC St. Pauli has emerged as the biggest loser in the transfer window among northern German second-division clubs. Data experts from GSN point to a massive exodus of experienced leaders and defensive quality as the core reason.
The Millerntor side lost six key pillars in Jackson Irvine, Manolis Saliakas, Karol Mets, Hauke Wahl, Nikola Vasilj, and Danel Sinani. While Marcus Mathisen, Branimir Hrgota, Youssoupha Niang, and Gisli Thordarson arrived as new signings, these additions failed to plug the gaps. GSN said: "St. Paulis großer Aderlass" and criticised the club for losing "zu viele Leistungsträger verloren". The problems for the relegated Bundesliga side thus still resemble those from their relegation season.
Why is the squad now worse?
The analysts rate FC St. Pauli's current squad as "significantly worse" and no longer see the individual quality of a clear promotion favourite. The departure of Jackson Irvine is particularly painful, as his dynamic box-to-box presence was not adequately replaced. There is also a lack of additional quality on the right side following Saliakas's exit. The GSN experts emphasise the loss of "exceptionally much leadership, defensive quality, and experience". These shortcomings are already reflected in the current campaign.
What is the current situation?
FC St. Pauli started the 2. Bundesliga season with high ambitions but sits in 16th place after three matchdays. The team has taken two points from three games with a goal difference of 4:5. Recent form showing a loss and two draws (LDD), coupled with a winless streak stretching six months, is cause for concern. In the standings, they are already seven points behind leaders 1. FC Nürnberg. The team must find its rhythm quickly to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle.
What does this mean for the season's goal?
While the club has not officially stated a promotion target, returning to the Bundesliga was the clear benchmark after relegation. The current squad situation and weak early results make this objective considerably harder. The new signings are considered reasonable but insufficient to compensate for the quality of the departures. The squad overall appears less deep and experienced, which could be a decisive disadvantage over a long second-division season. A look at the squad overview reveals the need for further solutions.
When is the next chance to correct course?
The next opportunity to respond on the pitch comes as soon as tomorrow, 4 September 2026. FC St. Pauli then plays an away fixture against mid-table side Arminia Bielefeld, who currently sit 10th. This clash is an early indicator for the rest of the season's planning. All upcoming league fixtures can be found on our fixtures page. A positive result in Bielefeld would be a long-overdue step out of the negative streak.
