Igor Matanovic's Mixed Emotions: Freiburg Star Scores Against Former Club St. Pauli Amid Relegation Battle

Freiburg striker Igor Matanovic experienced a bittersweet moment on Sunday evening, as his two goals secured a 2-1 away Bundesliga victory against his former youth club, St. Pauli. Matanovic, a Hamburg native, chose not to celebrate either goal, acknowledging the difficult position his boyhood team now faces in their relegation battle.

Igor Matanovic’s St. Pauli Journey

Matanovic joined St. Pauli's youth academy, known as the 'Kiezkicker', in 2010 at the age of seven. Like many academy graduates, he served as a ball boy on matchdays. The Croatian international, now with seven caps, made his first-team debut for St. Pauli during the 2020/21 2. Bundesliga season.

In the summer of 2021, Eintracht Frankfurt recognized Matanovic's potential, signing him for €1.8 million. To aid his development, Frankfurt (nicknamed 'RheinMainAdler') sent him back to St. Pauli on an extended two-year loan. During this period, Matanovic managed only three goals for St. Pauli across two seasons.

Matanovic’s Rise

Matanovic's breakthrough in the 2. Bundesliga came during a loan spell with Karlsruher SC in the 2023/24 season. He demonstrated glimpses of top-flight potential with Dino Toppmöller’s Eintracht Frankfurt (SGE) in the 2024/25 campaign, yet his goal tally remained modest with just two goals in 25 appearances across all competitions for Frankfurt.

Despite his limited scoring, Eintracht remained confident in his abilities, including a buyback clause when selling him to Freiburg. Given Matanovic's continued strong scoring form since the start of the calendar year, it's plausible that Frankfurt could activate this clause.

Over the past three months, Matanovic's estimated market value has increased by €3 million, reaching €10 million.

Matanovic’s Words for His Ex-Club

After the match, Matanovic shared his emotions with DAZN: “It was a special game for me. I truly cherished my 13 years here. I watched from the stands as a child and worked as a ball boy. Playing here today was an absolute joy. The warm welcome I received from the fans when I stepped onto the pitch before the game meant a lot to me.”

He added, “Nevertheless, today I wear the Freiburg crest and must give my all for this club, which I did. As a team, we achieved a lot. We aimed to maintain the momentum from Thursday but didn't quite manage it entirely. My first goal was also quite fortunate; I was lucky with how the ball bounced.”

Freiburg’s Julian Schuster Praises Matanovic

At the post-match press conference, Freiburg (SCF) head coach Julian Schuster praised the 22-year-old: “He chose to come to us from Eintracht. It took some time for him to fully grasp and meet our specific demands, but he’s now doing so perfectly. He has made significant improvements in his defensive work over the past six months.”

Schuster continued, highlighting Matanovic’s “quality in tight spaces with the ball and his ability to keep possession. And crucially, the threat he poses in front of goal. His scoring instinct is invaluable to us and is now consistently resulting in goals.”

Schuster Also Sympathetic to St. Pauli

Schuster, who arrived late to the press conference, also expressed sympathy for St. Pauli in his opening remarks: “We are pleased to have secured a win against a team that has performed well recently. They possess quality, and we were fortunate to achieve a comeback victory against them.”

Schuster reiterated a sentiment from last year: “I hope to have the privilege of playing an away match here again next year. I simply find this stadium, this club, its fans, and this team wonderful and great.”

He concluded, “I am convinced that St. Pauli can avoid relegation. Alex, I wish you and your team immense strength and energy. I hope that, together, you can achieve your goal and remain in the Bundesliga next year.”