Trip of the Bundesliga newcomer: SC Paderborn inspires in the USA

Prejudiced people may believe that, despite being promoted to the Bundesliga, SC Paderborn already has enough to do with increasing its popularity in Germany beyond East Westphalia. Meanwhile, the club is on a much larger mission, almost unnoticed, and with great success.

At least according to their own descriptions, SC Paderborn presented themselves well on their trip to the USA as ambassadors for the Bundesliga. This not only helps the league, but also the newcomer to the Bundesliga. “It was great,” reported SCP President Thomas Sagel, summing up the success: “You can also see this in the clicks on social media, our reach has increased enormously.” Of course, he didn't want to appear megalomaniacal. Moderation is still being practiced in Paderborn: “We don’t want to go too far, but we are always developing a little further at this level.”

Perhaps not everyone in this country noticed all of this during the international break and the huge Jürgen Klopp euphoria, but the East Westphalian press reported on it in detail under the following headings: “Follow our live blog from the USA”, “SC Paderborn in the center of power” or “We only get this chance once”.

But the German Football League also presented the Paderborn team's journey on its website with a number of clips down to the smallest detail. For example, how the Paderborn professionals check into the hotel or, after the successful friendly match against the capital club DC United from Major League Soccer (1-0), US fans patiently and friendly give autographs and have their photos taken.

However, SC Paderborn has also shown itself beyond the football stadiums. At the University of Maryland, for example, in the Capitol or in the White House. When visiting US President Donald Trump's official residence, trainer Ralf Kettemann told the Paderborn district newspaper: "The reason we are here is to gain experience." And President Sagel reported: "We saw rooms that you sometimes don't see on television. The head of the house was there too, and we saw J. D. Vance in the car."

Conversely, the Bundesliga professionals from Paderborn were of course also seen, perhaps even by Vice President Vance. And the club drew attention to itself, as the Paderborn district newspaper noted, “he was clearly recognizable through his blue training clothes.”

It cannot be said with certainty whether SC Paderborn's next home game against VfB Stuttgart will be shown in a Washington sports bar. The enthusiasm for Paderborn in Washington was not quite as great as the readers of the Neue Westfälische could believe. There were reports in advance that the game was already sold out with 20,000 spectators. In the pictures from the game, you could see significantly more empty seats than occupied ones.

But things could look completely different on SC Paderborn's next trip to the USA. Sports director Sebastian Lange indicated that SC Paderborn would like to continue to fulfill the role of ambassador for the Bundesliga: “We are very open and are always keen on something new.” Another trip to the USA or another country in the coming season is absolutely not out of the question. As President Sagel put it so beautifully: “It is important to us that we transport our media reach to the world.”