• Nikola Vasilj wins FC St. Pauli Player of the Season award for the second straight year
• The Bosnian goalkeeper recorded 123 saves during the Bundesliga campaign
• St. Pauli were relegated after securing only four wins and suffering 20 defeats
• Vasilj produced a stunning display against Hoffenheim with 11 saves and prevented 3.59 expected goals
• Summer signing Joel Chima Fujita and top scorer Danel Sinani also received votes

FC St. Pauli began their Bundesliga campaign brightly in late August. The team secured a draw against Borussia Dortmund and beat local rivals Hamburger SV. They also claimed a home victory over Augsburg. These results suggested the summer signings had strengthened the squad significantly.

However, this early promise disappeared quickly. The Hamburg club managed just four more victories and seven draws during the remainder of the season. They suffered 20 defeats, which ultimately led to their relegation.

One player escaped criticism for his consistent hard work. Goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj has now won the club’s Player of the Season award for the second year running. The 30-year-old Bosnian produced the second-highest number of saves in the league with 123 stops. He also saved two penalties, giving him a 40 per cent success rate from the spot.

Vasilj’s finest moment came on Matchday 24 against Hoffenheim in Sinsheim. He made 11 saves in total during the match. Early in the game, he rushed from his line to deny Andrej Kramarić and Grischa Prömel in quick succession. He then blocked two attempts from Ozan Kabak on the goal line.

After Mathias Pereira-Lage gave St. Pauli the lead, Vasilj made crucial late saves to deny Kabak and Ermir Asllani from close range. Statistics show he prevented 3.59 expected goals during that single match.

Other players received recognition from the voting panel. Joel Chima Fujita, who joined last summer, earned two votes after scoring once and providing three assists. Manolis Saliakas received one vote for his goal and three assists from wing-back. Danel Sinani also got one vote after finishing as the club’s top scorer with five goals and three assists.