NEWS
St. Pauli Captain Irvine moves to Japan
After relegation, the 33-year-old asserted his desire to stay in Hamburg. Following the World Cup, there was a change of heart:
St. Pauli's former captain Jackson Irvine is leaving the Bundesliga relegated club.
The 33-year-old Australian, who participated with his country at the 2026 World Cup, is moving to Japan to Cerezo Osaka. The transfer fee is unknown; Irvine's contract in Hamburg would have been valid for another year.
After the World Cup, Irvine did not return to team training; he is reported to have already been in Japan in recent days.
Change of Mind After the World Cup
Irvine joined the Kiez club in the 2021/22 season, played more than 150 matches for St. Pauli, and became a fan favorite. This status eroded after Irvine publicly took a strong pro-Palestinian stance in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
"After his return from the World Cup, Jackson approached us with the desire to make the move to Japan a reality," said St. Pauli's sporting director Andreas Bornemann.
After relegation from the Bundesliga, Irvine had stated: "My contract runs for another year, I will stay. This is my home, the club is something very special to me." He told "Kicker" at the time that some crazy things would have to happen for him not to extend his contract.
This summer, St. Pauli changed coaches; Marcel Rapp is now in charge instead of Alexander Blessin.
