Brisbane Roar confirmed that central midfielder Sam Klein has signed for German Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli, in a deal the A-League club describes as one of the most significant outbound transfers in its history.
The 22-year-old Gympie athlete, who also holds Norwegian citizenship, will join the Hamburg-based club ahead of the 2026-27 Bundesliga season, moving into one of world football’s top five leagues after two seasons as a first-team regular at Brisbane Roar.
The transfer includes a significant fee and a sell-on agreement that gives the Roar a share of any future transfer involving Klein, meaning Brisbane continues to benefit financially as his career develops.
A road that was never going to be straight
Klein’s journey to the Bundesliga took him through the Football Queensland pathway system before he was scouted into the Brisbane Roar Academy, where he first arrived in January 2021 and spent his early years developing through the under-21s.
Restless for professional senior football, he left the club to try his luck in Scandinavia, seeking the kind of regular game time that can make or break a young career. It did not deliver the breakthrough he needed.
He returned to Australia and signed with Gold Coast Knights in the NPL Queensland competition, continuing to develop his game in the domestic second tier. Brisbane Roar had kept a close eye on his progress, and in September 2024 they brought him back. This time the path ran in the right direction.
Klein made 19 appearances and scored five goals in the 2024-25 A-League Men’s season, enough to cement a starting position heading into 2025-26. This season he delivered 25 appearances, four goals and an assist, playing every minute of the Roar’s last 17 matches before missing just one game through concussion.
In all competitions, he made 46 appearances for Brisbane, registering nine goals and one assist. It was the consistency of that output that caught St. Pauli’s attention.
A midfield profile built for St. Pauli
St. Pauli head coach Alexander Blessin was clear about what attracted the club to Klein. “Sam boasts exciting skills that enable him to occupy a number of roles in central midfield,” Blessin said. “He combines good anticipation and vision with accurate passing, and also looks to get on the scoresheet himself. He’s aggressive in defence and doesn’t hold back in his efforts to win back possession.”
At 1.88 metres, Klein is also a significant aerial presence, adding a dimension to St. Pauli’s midfield options that their director of sport Andreas Bornemann highlighted as a key factor in the club’s decision to sign him.
Klein arrives at St. Pauli to link up with two fellow Australians, Socceroos captain Jackson Irvine and midfielder Connor Metcalfe, giving Hamburg a remarkably strong Australian contingent. He has also represented Australia at the youth international level, earning call-ups to the Under-20 setup and debuting for the Under-23 side.
Whether Klein debuts in the Bundesliga or the second division will depend on how St. Pauli resolve their current season. At the time of the announcement, the Hamburg club sat one point clear of the Bundesliga relegation zone with three rounds remaining, meaning Klein arrives into a club with high stakes football still to be decided.
A club that is becoming a genuine export pathway
Klein’s transfer follows a productive season for Brisbane Roar in the international market. Lucas Herrington moved to Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer, while on the women’s side, Leia Varley signed for German second-division side 1. FC Nürnberg. Together with Klein’s move, it signals a Roar capable of developing and exporting talent at multiple levels and to multiple markets.
Brisbane Roar Chief Operating Officer Zac Anderson described the deal as evidence of the club’s broader purpose. “Sam is a Queenslander who has always supported the Roar, and that passion has shown through in his performances,” Anderson said.
“Nothing has been given to Sam, he has had to work hard for every professional opportunity, and we couldn’t be happier to see one of our own progress to a top five league globally. This deal is important, as it’s another piece of evidence that Brisbane Roar is a genuine springboard for young Queensland and Australian talent to reach the top of the world game.”
Klein’s mother, Francis, captured the family’s joy with equal clarity. “It’s been Sam’s dream to play professionally in Europe for as long as he’s been kicking a ball,” she said. “To see it, as a family, come to fruition is incredibly special.”
Klein himself was characteristically grounded. “To go from playing football in Gympie to running out for a club like FC St. Pauli is something I never imagined would happen,” he said. “I owe an enormous amount to Brisbane Roar, the coaches, the staff and the supporters who backed me from day one. The Roar is where I started and you’ll always hold a special place in my heart.”
Published 5-May-2026
