Detroit City FC will welcome FC St. Pauli of Hamburg, Germany, for an international friendly match at Keyworth Stadium on Saturday, May 19th at 6 PM.
The international match marks FC St. Pauli’s first-ever match in the United States.
Founded in 1907 and currently playing in the second tier of German soccer, FC St. Pauli is one of Germany’s most well-known clubs – and a cult favorite within the international soccer community – popular for its progressive stance, raucous support and community-based identity.
“We’re honored to host an internationally renowned club like St. Pauli,” Sean Mann, co-
owner of Detroit City FC, said. “St. Pauli is a club that stands for important values that play a role in their community beyond sports. In many ways, they are one of the clubs we’ve always looked up to as we’ve tried to build our club into something special in our own community and beyond.”
FC St. Pauli was one of the first European soccer clubs to make active and public anti-racism, anti-fascism, anti-homophobia and anti-discrimination demonstrations.
Similarly, Detroit City FC was the first American sports team to wear an LGBTQ inspired jersey in a competitive match, and has held charity matches for Detroit organizations like Freedom House, Ruth Ellis Center and Alternatives For Girls.
“Punk football” is often referred to when describing FC St. Pauli, due in part to its active stance against the commercialism of soccer and the skull-and-crossbones emblem which has come to symbolize the club.
“We’re delighted to be guests in the supporter-built soccer environment of Detroit City FC, which fits very well with the member-driven culture of FC St. Pauli,” said FC St. Pauli President Oke Gottlich. “This is a real friendly and we’re very excited about it. I hope we can recreate a tiny part of FC St. Pauli’s magnificent support in the States.”
For the first time in DCFC history, the international match will be televised live on FOX Sports Detroit.
The move builds on Le Rouge’s partnership with FOX Sports Detroit. Since 2016, DCFC home matches have been streamed live on the FOX Sports GO app and on foxsportsdetroit.com.
“We are thrilled to provide the first-ever televised Detroit City FC game on FOX Sports Detroit on May 19th,” said Greg Hammaren, senior vice president and general manager of FOX Sports Detroit. “We will also continue to stream DCFC matches on our digital platforms for a third straight year. The excitement around this team has continued to grow and we’re proud to be part of it and help expose more people to such a great sport.”
Tickets for DCFC vs. FC St. Pauli will start at $20 and will be available to the general public at tickets.detcityfc.com on Tuesday, March 13 at 10 AM. Admission to the May 19th match is free for all Detroit City FC season ticket holders.
FC St. Pauli’s visit will be a weekend celebration of football culture on both sides of the Atlantic, with a series of events for supporters to be held around the match. Details for supporter events will be announced at a later date.
The match is a continuation of the annual Strategic Staffing Solutions International Series. Thanks to the support of Detroit-based Strategic Staffing Solutions, Detroit City FC has brought FC United of Manchester and Glentoran FC, of Belfast, Northern Ireland, to Keyworth Stadium the past two seasons, and reached tens of thousands across the globe through the livestreams of the matches.
“This match is one of our favorite events to be a part of and at S3 we are proud to continue the tradition of bringing international football (soccer) to our great city for a third season,” said Cynthia J. Pasky, president and CEO of Strategic Staffing Solutions, which has offices in 11 countries worldwide. “It celebrates Detroit, the world’s most popular game and both clubs’ continued commitment to inclusion. We look forward to seeing Detroit City FC and FC St. Pauli playing on the same field in Detroit.”
Detroit City FC would like to thank Match IQ GmbH of Hamburg, Germany for connecting the clubs and making the match a reality.
About Detroit City FC: Detroit City FC is a grassroots football club representing the city in a positive light, and building community through the beautiful game. A member of the National Premier Soccer League since 2012, Detroit City has established itself as one of the most talked about soccer teams in North America. Learn more about the club at detcityfc.com.
