Dynamite start for St. Pauli: derby blast against HSV in the Volkspark!

Dynamite start for St. Pauli: derby blast against HSV in the Volkspark!

FC St. Pauli is facing an exciting start to the second Bundesliga season, which begins on August 23rd or 24th. The team welcomes Borussia Dortmund to their home stadium, which will be a promising start to the season for the fans. The anticipation of the derby against the hated rival Hamburger SV follows on the second matchday in the Volksparkstadion, where security issues play a central role. Oke Göttlich, President of FC St. Pauli, highlighted the importance of dealing with security aspects surrounding this intense clash that shapes Hamburg's football culture. As mopo.de reports, the rivalry is particularly noticeable on match day, when the St. Pauli fans gather at the Binnenalster and the police are on site with an increased contingent.

The upcoming schedule sees St. Pauli playing against FC Augsburg on matchday 3, which will result in the return of Elias Saad. Matchday 4 is against VfB Stuttgart and a week later there is a home game against Bayer Leverkusen. A special highlight will be the northern duel against Werder Bremen on matchday 6. Philipp Treu returns on matchday 10 for the away game against SC Freiburg, followed by a challenging match against FC Bayern Munich on matchday 12. The last game of the year is against Mainz 05 just before Christmas, while St. Pauli starts the new year with a game against RB Leipzig. The second leg against HSV at Millerntor will take place between January 23rd and 25th, 2026 and promises once again passionate clashes that will characterize the Hamburg city derby.

The importance of the Hamburg city derby

The rivalry between FC St. Pauli and Hamburger SV not only has sporting but also cultural dimensions. According to The Athletic, the Hamburg city derby exemplifies the different football cultures represented in the city. While HSV traditionally combines tradition and success with a larger commercial approach, St. Pauli embodies an unconventional and social identity. These differences not only captivate the two fan camps, but also numerous neutral spectators. Tension builds before match day as fans from both sides present their colors and proudly demonstrate their club affiliation.

The Volksparkstadion, home of HSV, has space for 57,000 spectators and is just 20 minutes from the city center. The journey to the stadium takes you through a park decorated with various murals and numerous police vehicles indicate that security precautions for the game are being taken seriously. In the stadium itself, fans create an impressive backdrop by using pyrotechnics and flares, despite official calls for them to be banned. Such an atmosphere contributes to derby games having a special status in Hamburg.

Sports director Andreas Bornemann was positive about the opening game plan for this season and sees promising opportunities for his team. The challenges that await FC St. Pauli in the coming weeks and months are great, but the support and passion of the fans will also be crucial this season.