It's a new role for FC St. Pauli - and one that the Kiez club rejects externally, but does accept internally.

Something should come up again at FC;

Quite a few experts see coach Timo Schultz's team as one of the favorites for promotion to the Bundesliga.

A victory over Hamburger SV on Friday evening (6.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the 2nd Bundesliga and on Sky) would fit: with three wins and two draws from the six derbies of the second division, St. Pauli is not only statistically ahead.

Even in feeling, you no longer approach the former favorite from the role of the outsider.

This is mainly due to the previous season's back round table;

FC was fourth here with ten wins.

While the HSV crashed again, St. Pauli established itself after the weak Hinserie under Schultz with sometimes enthusiastic football.

Also because this season started promisingly with four points and the cup win in Magdeburg, FC St. Pauli has outgrown the status of the underdog - although Timo Schultz says before his second season as head coach: “We can't buy anything more for the last games .

It's a new season with new staff. "

"I don't care about the past"

That applies to his team at a central point. Sports director Andreas Bornemann had to return the valuable loans from Omar Marmoush and Rodrigo Zalazar. It was his initiative to definitely want to strengthen the squad in winter because the old one lacked resilience and playing strength. Forward Marmoush and midfielder Zalazar met the profile; Together with goalkeeper Dejan Stojanovic, who was also on loan, they stood for St. Pauli's upturn.

Their departures do not necessarily have to weaken the team - transfers like the youngest from Marcel Hartel show the new thinking of St. Paulis: Quite brave, but never daring, the FC wants to come out of the HSV shadow and preferably advance this season. Hartel comes from Bielefeld with first division experience. With Timo Schultz, the game culture is back at Millerntor, courage and self-confidence as well. A bit of sharpness towards the competition is part of it. “Hamburg”, Schultz insistently calls HSV. In the preview booklet of the kicker, he guessed Schalke, Werder and Heidenheim for the first places.

At HSV you are used to grief and accept teasing with a shrug. It was noticeable how defensive Tim Walter was in the video call before the derby. "I've been here for seven weeks now, and we can be very satisfied," said the HSV coach, "but we still have a lot to do." Don't expect too much - and please don't compare it to the club's recent past, which has three times Finished fourth in the second division. Walter, the new coach, says about the bad derby record: "I don't care what happened in the past."

He sums up the strength that he wants to impress on HSV with the line in the new club anthem: “We are HSV!” More courage, more self-confidence, that should embody Walter's style of play. He says: “We want to show willingness, show dominance. If you are not brave on Friday, you will lose out. ”Walter exemplifies this attitude - how much or - better - how long his team will follow him on this course, you will see.