St. Pauli U23 starts preparation for the season with new talent!

St. Pauli U23 starts preparation for the season with new talent!

The FC St. Pauli U23 team will start preparing for the new season on Sunday, June 22, 2025. The first test kick takes place against HEBC from Eimsbüttel, kick-off is at 12 p.m. in Bönningstedt. The anticipation is great because HEBC ended the league season in a solid seventh place, which could lead to an exciting duel.

Coach Benny Hoose has stressed that it is important for the team and individual players to make rapid progress. With a breath of fresh air and numerous new faces in the squad, St. Pauli will do everything they can to get out of the starting blocks well. Captain Julian Ulbricht has left the club and is moving to SV Meppen after scoring an impressive 31 goals in 79 competitive games. Peer Mahncke and Theo Schröder are also moving to Kickers Emden, while Johann von Knebel is moving to TuS Dassendorf. Ronny Seibt and Emil Staugaard are currently without a new club.

New talents strengthen the team

With fresh energy, the Kiezkickers have signed some new players. This includes Jannik Westphal (20) from VfB Lübeck, a defender with valuable regional league experience. The newcomers Rawley St. John, a Californian midfielder, and Sisco Ngambia Dzonga (19) from the insolvency estate of KFC Uerdingen also bring a breath of fresh air. Haron Sabah (20), a winger from USC Paloma, and the two talents Toralf Hense (18, striker) and Juri Behr (19, goalkeeper) from the U19 complete the series of new additions.

The signing of Oleg Skakun (20) from Viktoria Berlin, a center forward who impressed in the Regionalliga Nordost, shows the club's instinct for talented players who want to develop further. According to coach Hoose, the focus in preparation will be primarily on defensive work, while the offensive game will be gradually improved. “The energy and desire of the new players make me optimistic,” he said recently.

Regional league and the path to professionalization

The discussion about the role of U23 teams has become more important in recent years. How rbb24 reports, there are different approaches to how Bundesliga teams deal with their U23 teams. Some clubs have withdrawn their U23 teams, while others, such as Hertha BSC, are relying on strong training.

Hertha sees the U23 as an important transition stage from youth to men's football. Benjamin Weber, the club's sports director, emphasizes that 14 players in the current second division squad come from the club's own youth ranks. Given such examples, the regional league is becoming increasingly popular as an attractive stage for the development of young talent.

St. Pauli's U23 now gathers with high expectations as the team prepares for the challenges ahead. Above all, the integration of the new players will be crucial in order to be able to get started in the regional league. Fans can hope for an exciting summer and an exciting season.