St. Pauli: Rapp Calls Pereira Lage’s Injury ‘Tragic’

St. Pauli coach Marcel Rapp describes the severe knee injury of striker Mathias Pereira Lage as tragic. Rapp highlights the player’s team spirit and sporting strength and pledges full support for his rehabilitation.

Injury and Rehab

Mathias Pereira Lage (29) suffered a severe knee injury with an ACL tear in April. On April 22, the 29-year-old injured his left knee. The next day he was operated on at the University Hospital Eppendorf (UKE). Since then he has only been able to watch his teammates from the stands.

Rapp’s Assessment

At the press conference before the DFB-Cup match against Rot-Weiss Essen on Friday, coach Marcel Rapp (47) expressed his concern: “I see him as a superhuman, someone who gives energy and is there for others.” He highlighted his team spirit and interest in others: “I saw him sitting on the U23 stand watching the game… He says, ‘Yes, I love football.’ It can’t be true that a player is out for so long. I would almost call it tragic. I think he is a really good person.” Rapp is convinced of his sporting strength: “I have seen a few of his games. He is a good player.”

Club Support

Rapp pledged full support for the recovery process: “We will do everything to make him healthy, he will get total support.” He emphasized that it remains a serious, long-term injury. “If we get him onto the pitch and into the locker room, we have a huge added value.”

Outlook

Rapp could not yet say how long Pereira Lage will be absent from the team of the brown-whites. He is on the schedule, but the exact duration remains unclear. The squad remains optimistic that the player will soon be fit again.