Michael

Let me start differently: When I think of soccer, I think of community, I think of solidarity, I think of being a fan and a social place where many different people come together. Admittedly, this has changed somewhat in recent years. The growing commercialization of professional soccer and associated developments are influencing the sport. Also FC St. Pauli as part of German professional soccer. And there we have to constantly balance the tension between "commercialization" and "preserving identity". Especially because FC St. Pauli didn't become famous because of its sporting successes.

We haven't won a championship or a DFB Cup. But what we do have is a strong tradition of our values. As a member-run club, we stand for values in the stadium and beyond. And that's how we've become known, so it's more from the idealistic area. And from our connection with our district. But we see that participation in professional soccer is necessary to maintain us as a club. And with that comes the development that we have to see ourselves as a company. We have to keep the company going. And this, I'll call it, "staying punk" is something we have to keep balancing. Keep looking at what we actually stand for. How can we live our values in the above-mentioned area of tension?

Michael

We are diverse. Some say we are a professional football club. Others say we are a grassroots sports club because we have 22 other sports departments outside of soccer, such as handball, beach volleyball, chess, bowling and many more. And the third thinks we're like a non-governmental organization, an NGO that wants to save the world, because that's how we're perceived. And somewhere in between, we have to keep finding ourselves. See where we are right now. Where we want to go. But we never abandon the principle that we want to be part of the Bundesliga.

Michael

It's a constant balancing process. Our clear positions developed out of the fans in the 80s. People from the St. Pauli district came to the stadium who wanted to experience soccer but also had an attitude. They also wanted to stand up for political and social values and not hand them over at the stadium box office. The main club was skeptical at first: colorful hair, skull and crossbones flag. What was that all about?

Our fans then became members so that they could help shape the club. As an e.V., the general meeting is the highest body. This is where the exchange takes place: members submit motions and raise issues that challenge us in the main office. And they ensure that we integrate the jointly created value base from the fan scene, from the district, more and more and thus also go outside.

Michael

Yes, back then we were playing in the premier league and there were marketing campaigns, among other things, that were rejected by the fans. The protest movement that emerged as a result called itself the "social romantics". To make their protest clear, they asked the fans to stop wearing black and white to the stadium and only wear red. The skull and crossbones only on a red background. And what happened? The entire stadium was red. There was widespread support. The fan scene did not want the pressure of commercialization to lead to a loss of identity.

And this understanding shapes how we deal with soccer. For example: We don't present corner kicks, so there's no marketing like "this corner kick is presented by ...". We don't have any advertising announcements while our team is playing. There are no advertising jingles directly before kick-off. Because that's when the fan support takes place: We sing. Soccer and our team are the focus, our fans, not a sponsor. These are small signs that you hardly find in today's professional soccer business. It's sometimes "entertaintment" right up to kick-off. That doesn't happen with us.

Michael

Yes, we have principles, of course, and we are actually laying down more and more. But there are also borderline cases where we take a closer look. There may be a company or an industry that doesn't quite fit in with us, but which is perhaps already on its way and which we can support in terms of sustainability. Where we notice: They are open to feedback and want to sit at the table with the fan scene right from the start. In my area, we have a CSR check that we use to examine all three areas of sustainability: Social, ecological and economic. We examine every potential partner and look at where there are synergies or unresolved issues.

Michael

Yes, exciting! All of a sudden, topics that were actually already gone are being formulated again. Suddenly people are talking about economic sustainability again, such as Financial Fair Play, and this is where soccer's strength lies.

I know of no other place where so many different people from so many different backgrounds come together under one roof. And commit to being together for something - despite their diversity. In this context, we have to recognize that soccer plays an important role in society, a privileged one. That's why, in my view, we need to take sustainable action. What would soccer be without people? I can't imagine it any other way than that soccer has an obligation to take a social stand. But not everyone in professional soccer sees it that way.

Michael

Of course. This is just as much an area of tension as the other topics. The greatest possible sporting success vs. sustainability? First of all, sustainability costs money. Professional soccer makes money. But do we have to think in opposite ways? Couldn't we prove that sustainability can also open up revenue potential, e.g. in the ecological sector? For example, if we say in the food sector: "We are dairy-free or lactose-free" or "Completely vegetarian". That makes us much more attractive to people who only produce oat milk or vegetarian products. Positioning ourselves clearly may exclude some people, but it also opens many new doors. Bringing ecological, social and economic sustainability into as many areas as possible and convincing people of this. That simply motivates me.

Michael

When FC St. Pauli von 1910 was founded as an e.V., the club colors were established. That's the way it is. It will stay that way. The fact that our stadium is so colorful is due to the participation of the fan scene. The fans were involved in the design of the stadium. That's why we have so many standing places. They are the heart. Standing room is affordable and part of the soccer culture. Then it was also clear that fan groups and initiatives wanted to continue to help shape the project. That's why the Millerntor looks the way it does and why there are clear socio-political statements such as "No soccer for fascists" and "No human being is illegal". That's what we fans, members and employees stand for. Humanism is non-negotiable. Fan groups, including some from abroad, have embroidered, painted and glued stickers in all corners. The stadium formally belongs to FC St. Pauli, but it is a meeting place for people. They are what make us and soccer what it is. And then they should also help shape it.

"Colorful" things also arise from our partnerships, such as with Viva con Agua. The Millerntor Gallery takes place once a year. Artists paint the perimeter of the main and south stands, among other things, and this remains for the rest of the season.

Michael

This is a complex issue. Strictly speaking, you can only do it wrong with the big suppliers when it comes to jerseys. Now we make our own player clothing and can set completely different standards in terms of sustainability. And this also goes back to a member request that called on us to be more sustainable in our merch products.

Or Levi's, for example: they have a separee here and have built a music practice room into it. Because jeans and rock music go well together. And what happens? When there's no match, kids from the neighborhood play music there during the week at the Levi's Music School. That's sustainable and social. We share some common values with Congstar, for example. They are also not afraid to spread social content from us and make their band time available. So we realize that it always has an impact when we work with partners. That we can also achieve things together and inspire questions that may not have existed in the company before. We see this as a shared journey that we want to take our partners on. What's more, the companies that come to us know what they're getting into. And I mean that in a positive way.