St. Pauli Signs Dimitar Mitov After Vasilj Departure

St. Pauli have moved quickly to reset their goalkeeping hierarchy, confirming on Thursday morning the signing of Aberdeen’s Dimitar Mitov for a reported €400,000 fee.

Relegation to the 2. Bundesliga had already triggered upheaval in Hamburg. Long-time number one Nikola Vasilj chose a new adventure with Saudi Pro League newcomers Al-Diriyah rather than extend his expiring deal at the Millerntor. That left a sizeable gap between the posts and a clear decision to make.

Ben Voll stepped in for the opening game back in the second tier, a draw against Greuther Fürth, but his audition was always likely to be short. With Mitov’s arrival, the Bulgarian international is expected to move straight to the front of the queue and push the former Köln keeper into a backup role.

From Aberdeen hero to Hamburg rebuild

Mitov joins on a three-year contract, as reported by Kicker, bringing with him a résumé built in England and Scotland. The 29-year-old previously turned out for Cambridge United and St. Johnstone FC before establishing himself at Aberdeen.

He walked into Pittodrie as first-choice and kept that status for his first two seasons, even as a hamstring injury sidelined him for months in his debut campaign. When he returned, he did more than just reclaim his place — he helped drive Aberdeen to a remarkable 2024/25 season.

The Dons opened their Scottish Premiership campaign with a blistering run of 12 wins and a draw, then capped it with their first Scottish Cup triumph since 1990. Mitov stood at the centre of that story. In the final against Celtic, he saved two penalties, the kind of performance that sticks in a club’s memory for years. He finished his last season in Scotland with 42 appearances in all competitions.

Rapp gets his modern goalkeeper

For Marcel Rapp, the profile is exactly what he wants behind an aggressive St. Pauli side.

“Dimitar (Mitov) has very good qualities on the line and can solve even difficult situations due to his dynamism and explosiveness. At the same time, he actively defends the space and conveys a lot of peace and security. We look forward to working with him and integrating him into our processes,” the coach said, outlining a keeper expected to command his box and start attacks, not just stop shots.

Mitov, a 15-time Bulgarian international, sounds ready to dive straight into the challenge of a new league and a club with one of Germany’s most intense atmospheres.

“I am very much looking forward to FC St. Pauli and the new league. The discussions with those responsible convinced me of a cooperation. I want to quickly integrate with the team, contribute my experience, and be successful together with the entire team to achieve the goals of the club,” he said in his first interview as a St. Pauli player.

St. Pauli’s rebuild after relegation will not be decided by one signing. But in a season where stability at the back can define a promotion push, they have nailed down the most unforgiving position on the pitch with a goalkeeper used to pressure, trophies, and penalty-box chaos.