Mets handed permanent deal
Wednesday, 31. May 2023, 14:00 Uhr
FC St. Pauli have handed defender Karol Mets a permanent deal beyond the end of this season. The Estonia international spent the second half of the season with the Boys in Brown on loan from FC Zürich and now the club has exercised its option to buy the player. The two clubs have agreed not to disclose any details of the transfer arrangements.
Mets featured from start to finish in all 17 games making up the second half of the 2022/23 season. The 30-year-old centre-back had previously made 13 Super League appearances for FC Zürich plus another three and the Europa League qualifiers and three in the Europa League proper. Mets also had spells in Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and Estonia before joining the Swiss outfit.
At international level, Mets rose through the Estonia youth ranks and has made 85 senior appearances for his country to date.
Reaction to the deal
Director of sport Andreas Bornemann: “Karol has fulfilled the expectations we had when we signed him 100 per cent. He’s had a major hand in stabilising us defensively and proved to be an excellent fit for our playing philosophy, which is why it soon became clear to us that we wanted to continue our association.”
Cheftrainer Fabian Hürzeler: “Karol has been done our game a power of good with his experience and composure on the ball. He settled in very quickly and internalised our style of play. On top of that he’s an absolute professional and has the determination to keep working on his game and improve as a player. It’s great to know he’ll be staying with us on the team.”
Karol Mets: “I’ve had a very successful first six months at St. Pauli. The hopes I had when I made this move have been more than met. We’re playing a sophisticated and attractive brand of football in front of great fans, and my wife and I feel very much at home at the club and in Hamburg. I’m delighted to be able to remain a part of it.”
Photos: Witters
