Union Berlin: Talent Aljoscha Kemlein moves to FC St. Pauli

Three appearances this season

Published January 6 at 1:52 p.m.; updated January 7 at 10:10 am.

In the 1. FC Union Berlin squad there was an over-provision of nine players for the central positions in midfield. That’s why the Bundesliga club decided to thin out the squad and give home-grown player Aljoscha Kemlein. The 19-year-old will join FC St. Pauli in the 2nd Bundesliga until the summer.

“Despite his young age, Aljoscha is already very far in his football development. That’s why we trust him to quickly become an alternative for the position in central midfield,” explained FCSP sports director Andreas Bornemann. “He has already proven at Union Berlin that he has all the physical and playful abilities. We are also looking forward to a player who is very hard-working and willing to learn, and who therefore fits into our team very well in terms of personality.”

Kemlein has been training with the “Eiserne” since 2016 and is now expected to gain match practice in Hamburg, which has so far been denied him. According to Kicker, a purchase option is not part of the agreement. The Berlin native played 27 minutes in two games in the Bundesliga and came on as a substitute in the final phase of the Champions League in the final group game against Real Madrid (0-1). The right-footer played four games over the full distance in the Youth League. As part of the loan, his contract in Köpenick was extended; the club did not provide any information about the term.

“I’m looking forward to my new role at FC St. Pauli and being able to prove myself in an ambitious team with a style of play that suits my skills well. The club has established itself as a good address for players who want to take the next step in their development. That’s exactly my goal for the second half of the season,” said Kemlein himself about the loan.

St. Pauli has a need in the midfield because captain Jackson Irvine and Connor Metcalfe are taking part in the Asian Cup with Australia. This will take place in Qatar from January 12th to February 10th – the duo could miss up to four league games as well as the quarter-finals in the DFB Cup against Fortuna Düsseldorf. Without Irvine and Metcalfe, the “Kiezkickern” only have the three trained midfielders Eric Smith, Marcel Hartel and Carlo Boukhalfa left. However, Smith is used in the center of defense as a kind of libero.

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