From Regionalliga to World Cup: Bundesliga star risks it all | OneFootball

Changing clubs is never without risk. Especially not for a regular player: Will you be able to assert yourself at the new club? Can the old successes be repeated? And what if even participation in the 2026 World Cup is at stake?

Elias Saad took the risk anyway. In the summer, he left the safe haven at FC St. Pauli to be chased around the pitch in Augsburg by Bundesliga newcomer Sandro Wagner. The Fuggerstädter also took a risk - whether the former DFB assistant coach can really move the team forward is still open. Saad himself was combative: "We want to stir up the Bundesliga a bit," he explained after his arrival on Augsburg's club TV. Will this be possible against his ex-club today (kick-off at 3:30 pm)?

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But why the move to the previous grey mouse of the league, which is now trying to be "sexy"? For Saad, one person in particular was the deciding factor: Sandro Wagner. "He was a striker himself, he can coach me better individually," he explained. With predecessor Alexander Blessin, the focus was too much on the defense - the wrong emphasis for an offensively thinking left winger. After all, the offensive player has big goals: Tunisia has already qualified for the World Cup, and he wants to be there. This September, he scored his first international goal in a 3-0 win over Liberia.

The delay was also due to setbacks. A brutal foul by Mainz's Dominik "Hardkohr" Kohr in October 2024 forced him to have ankle surgery and cost him participation in the Africa Cup qualification.

When he was finally fit again and was invited to the national team in March of this year, the coach left him on the bench for 90 minutes in both games. He converted the disappointment into energy afterwards: In the Bundesliga match against Bayern, he scored out of frustration - "There was definitely anger in my stomach," he admitted openly to 'Bild' after the game.

But more goals did not come. Another injury stopped him just before the end of the season. Now Wagner is supposed to sharpen his goal sense even more. FCA managing director Michael Ströll was optimistic: "Elias is technically skilled, brings dribbling strength, speed and goal danger. He has not yet exhausted his potential."

He also showed these qualities in his goal during the recent international break, which should bring him a step closer to his World Cup dream. It would be another chapter in his fairy-tale career. He didn't go from dishwasher to millionaire, but he did play for a regional league team until the end of 2022. At that time, Saad probably didn't believe that a Bundesliga club would pay almost two million euros for him.

He wasn't as good as others in his youth, the Augsburg player revealed in a podcast. His growth spurt came late. Via detours, he made it to Norderstedt in the regional league. Scouts from FC St. Pauli became aware of him.

In September 2022, then coach Timo Schultz and an assistant watched Norderstedt's cup game. "The night before, I thought that this was my chance and I shouldn't play badly," Saad recalled in an interview with ‘transfermarkt.de’. He didn't play well in the first half, but after the break he scored a goal. Only to be sent off with a yellow-red card.

He apparently convinced the Kiezkicker anyway, because in the winter of 2022 they brought the Tunisian to Millerntor. But it wasn't until April 2023 that he made his competitive debut against Braunschweig. However, the moment when he realized that he had really arrived in professional football was different.

Just a week later, Saad was substituted in the derby against Hamburger SV and scored his first goal for St. Pauli. "After the goal, I stood at the halfway line and thought that I had arrived. I am a professional footballer," he recalled in an interview with ‘transfermarkt.de’. He didn't even celebrate because he simply couldn't handle the situation and was overwhelmed.

Since then, things have moved quickly: regular player, promotion with St. Pauli, transfer for two million euros. Now Augsburg - and maybe soon the World Cup? Saad's story shows: If you want to aim high, you must be willing to take risks.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

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