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St. Pauli back in the Bundesliga and set to grab attention

Felix Tamsut
May 20, 2024

The Hamburg side secured its return to the Bundesliga after 13 years by winning the second division. This is what a club whose status outweighs their success will add to Germany's top flight, both on and off the pitch.

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St. Pauli players celebrate a goal
St. Pauli are sure to liven up the Bundesliga on their returnImage: Marcus Brandt/dpa/picture alliance

FC St. Pauli (pronounced Sankt Pauli) will play in the Bundesliga for the first time since the 2010-11 season. The club, based in Hamburg's central quarter which carries the same name, secured the second division's top spot after beating Wehen Wiesbaden away on the last matchday of the season on Sunday.

FC St. Pauli has become known around the world for standing behind left-wing values. Refugee rights, LGBTQ+ rights and the fight against various forms of discrimination stand at the heart of the Hamburg club and its fans.

The Millerntor Stadium, located at the heart of the St. Pauli quarter, sports the phrase "Kein Mensch ist illegal" ("No person is illegal"), a known slogan for refugee rights in the German-speaking community.

Pro 50+1, support for women in management

As part of its philosophy, FC St. Pauli's management is one of the strongest supporters of the 50+1 rule, which gives club members the majority control over the club. The Hamburg side also became the first professional club in Germany whose members voted in favor of its various boards and committees having a minimum of 30% female representation.

The head of FC St. Pauli's supervisory board is Sandra Schwedler, who has been in the role since 2014. Schwedler was the only female boss of a football club in Germany's top two divisions until March 2022, when Nicole Kumpis was voted in as president of Eintracht Braunschweig.

St. Pauli supporters are left wing, subculturally diverse

The club's supporters belong to different elements of the left-wing scene in Hamburg, Germany and indeed, around the world, also representing different subcultural connections. The local antifascist scene in Hamburg, too, is known to be intertwined with St. Pauli's organized supporter groups.

As well as being one of Germany's most famous "Partymeilen" ("party zones"), the St. Pauli quarter is known as an epicenter of alternative subcultures, which are also represented among the club's supporters.

Banners portraying political messages are a regular feature of games, with ultra fan groups free to hold such banners and voice their opinions.

Conflicts between support in Germany and abroad

St. Pauli are one of the most well-supported German clubs abroad, despite winning no significant title in its 120-year history. Given the different views on certain topics within the left-wing scene worldwide, this has also brought conflict.

FC St Pauli supporters waving flags in the stands
FC St. Pauli supporters are known for their antifascist stanceImage: dapd

In light of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, some of St. Pauli's 59 registered international fan clubs were not happy with the messages the club and many of its organized supporter groups had communicated.

While there has been no official siding with Israel as such, the club and its Germany-based organized group sent messages in support of the Hapoel Tel Aviv team and their many supporters affected by the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7. That support was due to the yearslong friendship between the two clubs' main ultra groups, Ultras Hapoel and Ultra Sankt Pauli.

Fan clubs withdraw support

The conflict between the club's supporters reached a point where St. Pauli's fan club board spokesperson issued a statement, calling for the international fan clubs to revisit the style of their social media posts about the war in the Middle East in the wake of Hamas' terrorist attacks, which led to the death of some 1,200 Israelis.

"Some clubs and their statements are already borderline, some even cross the line," said to the statement, titled "terrorism is not resistance."

FC St. Pauli did use their account to raise awareness for a fundraiser for the civil population in Gaza, where more than 35,500 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to the Hamas-run health authorities. But for a few of the club's international fan clubs, it was far from enough.

Team on the up

The club is coached by 31-year-old Fabian Hürzeler. He took over the club in December 2022 after the sacking of Timo Schultz, with the Hamburg side only above the relegation places due to better goal difference. Come the end of the season, though, St. Pauli finished fifth.

Fabian Hürzeler talks to his St. Pauli players
Fabian Hürzeler (in black) has shown loyalty to St. Pauli despite interest from elsewhereImage: Heiko Becker/dpa/picture alliance

Despite interest from the Bundesliga, Hürzeler chose to extend his contract at St. Pauli. That deal could also help St. Pauli in securing their top player's services next season. Marcel Hartel, the club's top scorer with 17 goals, is the only main player to have not extended his contract. While St. Pauli know they will not be able to financially compete with most Bundesliga clubs, the Hamburg side hopes Hürzeler's close relationship with Hartel will be decisive.

Other than Hartel, the squad's main players are all expected to play for FC St. Pauli in the Bundesliga, headed by the club's Australian captain Jackson Irvine and defenders Eric Smith and Hauke Wahl. Their sporting goal will simply be to stay up.

Edited by: Matt Pearson