FC St. Pauli

Saad moved to the Millerntor from the fourth tier in December 2022 but had to wait a few months to make his first Bundesliga appearance. After four matches and three goals for the  Under-23s, he got his first 13 second-division minutes in the 2-1 home defeat against Eintracht Braunschweig in April 2023. Just one week later, he scored his first senior goal in the 4-3 reverse at HSV. “It’s special to get a goal here and even just to play, but I’m sad and disappointed with the result,” said Saad after the derby defeat. Five more appearances, all in the starting XI, and another goal followed.

The technically gifted dribbler quickly established himself in the first team under Fabian Hürzeler, maintaining this status in the 2023/24 promotion season. He performed consistently well and was often unstoppable on the wing. He contributed seven goals and two assists to his side’s return to the Bundesliga. By this time Saad had already made his debut for Tunesia – just one year after making his second-division debut.

Under new coach Alexander Blessin, Saad made 18 Bundesliga appearances last season, having been sidelined by a serious ankle injury for almost four months, and three goals and four assists helped the team avoid the drop. Altogether he made 60 competitive appearances for the first team, scoring 14 goals and providing six assists.

Thanks for all your efforts, Elias, and all the very best for the future!

Photos: FC St. Pauli