FC St. Pauli readies for season in Austria camp under coach Rapp

Marcel Rapp, appointed head coach of FC St. Pauli on 1 July, is leading the club into a pre‑season training camp in Flachau, Austria from 19 to 25 July. The squad, including youth prospects Theo Moerchen, Melvin Witte, Jannik Westphal and others, will play test matches against Croatian side Gorica and English Premier League club Bournemouth. Rapp said the team is “injury‑free” and will increase intensity week by week, emphasizing that the first match is not a final but the start of a long season.

Rapp also praised new signing Branimir Hrgota, describing his left foot as “brutal” and noting his experience in German football, though his exact position remains to be decided. Meanwhile, the club launched an audio branding system with agency German Wahnsinn, creating a “29546 Sound of St. Pauli” archive from 20 stadium microphones to capture chants, crowd reactions and other acoustic elements for future marketing and fan engagement.