Official | St. Pauli sign former Alexander Blessin midfield protégé Mathias Rasmussen | OneFootball

St. Pauli have confirmed the purchase of Norwegian central midfielder Mathias Rasmussen from Union St. Gilloise. The 28-year-old once counted as one of current FCSP head coach Alexander Blessin’s protégés at the Belgian outfit. Rasmussen played 53 competitive fixtures under Blessin during the German coach’s tenure at USG.

The significance of Rasmussen’s arrival

Hamburg’s Kiezkicker signed Japanese central defender Tomoya Ando at the very beginning of the January transfer window. Keeper Emil Gazdov was also brought in on loan from Montreal CF of America’s MLS to back-up regular starter Nikola Vasilj for the duration of the season. Ando’s arrival may herald the departure of some of St. Pauli’s other central defenders. The same applies to Rasmussen.

Squad captain Jackson Irvine sits on an expiring contract and has had his sporting and personal issues with the club.USMNT international James Sands retains a regular role, but looks to be due back at New York City FC following the end of his second loan stint. St. Pauli likely consider Rasmussen to be the future midfield partner of Japanese international Joel Chima Fujita. 

The fact that St. Pauli brought in one of Blessin’s former favorites also signals the Hamburg outfit’s commitment to their current head coach. Amid the team’s struggles this season, some talk of sacking Blessin has cropped up. St. Pauli themselves don’t appear interested in making a coaching change, even as the team continues to contest the relegation race this season. 

Statements on Rasmussen’s arrival

“Mathias makes quick decisions under pressure and brings order to a team in the center,” Blessin noted in his club statement. “He can dictate the pace, call for the ball, and is also very reliable against the ball. It is precisely this balance between defensive reliability and offensive orientation that is crucial for our game.“

“We were able to convince Mathia – a very structured midfielder – to transfer to FC St. Pauli,” FCSP sporting director Andreas Bornemann added. “It is particularly important that he can play in various positions in the center, giving us additional options in midfield.”

“I’m really looking forward to the Bundesliga and especially to FC St. Pauli’s  intense style of football,” the player himself added. “The talks with the club officials were very convincing. I quickly realized that this was the right move for me.“

GGFN | Peter Weis