Rose thanks St. Pauli fans for polite welcome: “No one showed us the middle finger.”

Speaking at his post-match press conference last night, RB Leipzig trainer Marco Rose thanked FC St. Pauli fans for welcoming his controversial club to the Millerntor in a cordial fashion. 

Leipzig native Marco Rose knows full well that dealing with constant protests in both home and away fixtures remain a part of his job description. Bundesliga ultras not only take every opportunity to blast the non-traditional nature of his club, but also routinely engage in anti-East German chants whenever playing the German Red Bulls.

In a rather unexpected development, Rose’s team were treated rather cordially last night during their visit to FC St. Pauli’s home stadium. Typically, the left-leaning West German ultra scene harbors a profound disdain for East German football supporters; due to the general right-ward slant of ultras in the former DDR. 

Despite the fact that St. Pauli ultras base their fandom on hard-left politics, incidents of protest were minimal last night. Rose took the opportunity to thank the Kiezkicker supporters for treating him and his team with respect whilst speaking at the post-match press conference. Rose labelled the trip to Hamburg a “comfortable” experience. 

“As we arrived in the bus, no one showed us the middle finger,” Rose remarked at the presser, “I’ve never experienced that as the head-coach of RB Leipzig. A lot of people don’t like us and I’m okay with that being shown in a subtle and classy fashion.” 

“But I felt a mega positive vibe and appreciated that,” Rose continued, “Accordingly, I tip my cap to St. Pauli and its fans. I wish them all the best in the weeks to come.”