SC Paderborn 07 - injuries & suspensions October 2026

SC Paderborn 07: 2026/27 season preview

SC Paderborn 07 begin the 2026/2027 season as newcomers to the Bundesliga. The club return to the top flight after a six-year absence. They finished third in the 2. Bundesliga last season, missing out on automatic promotion to Elversberg only on goal difference. In the play-offs, they faced VfL Wolfsburg. After a goalless draw at home, Paderborn won the second leg 2:1 after extra time to secure their return to the top tier.

Ralf Kettemann is the man behind their promotion, and this will be his first season in the Bundesliga. His team played with intensity in the previous campaign and were able to maintain a high tempo for long periods. Paderborn finished the season with 59 goals, the third-highest tally in the league.

Key attacking players depart

However, there were some significant losses over the summer. The departure of Filip Bilbija is likely to be felt most keenly. The striker scored 15 goals and moved to Derby County after his contract expired. Paderborn also lost Mika Baur, who joined Celtic Glasgow, and Calvin Brackelmann, who is now with FC Augsburg. Goalkeeper Dennis Seimen also returned to VfB Stuttgart after his loan spell. The club therefore had to strengthen the squad ahead of their Bundesliga debut and find replacements for several key figures from last season's team.

Vidović expected to add more firepower

One of the most intriguing new arrivals is Gabriel Vidović. The Croatian joined Paderborn from Dinamo Zagreb. He scored seven goals and provided five assists in the Croatian league last season. In Germany, he will need to quickly establish himself as one of the team's leading attacking players.

Vidović is already familiar with German football. A product of Bayern Munich's academy, he made eight appearances for the club's first team and was later loaned out, including to Mainz. He should be given much more responsibility at Paderborn than during his previous spells in the Bundesliga.

Curda remains one of the leaders

Laurin Curda stayed at the club following promotion. The 23-year-old midfielder was one of Kettemann's most important players. He featured in 34 league matches last season and scored eight goals. One of them came in the play-off against Wolfsburg, securing promotion for Paderborn.

Curda has been at the club since 2023 and knows its methods well. Santiago Castañeda, Tom Baack and Sebastian Klaas also remain in midfield. With so many changes, their familiarity with the team will be important.

Young squad with new faces

Paderborn have favoured young players for several years, and promotion has not changed that approach. Summer signings included Laurin Ulrich from VfB Stuttgart, Luka Durić from Hoffenheim and Gabriel Vidović. They also loaned Ranyan Philippe from Hamburger SV, with the deal completed on the final day of the transfer window.

Marvin Pieringer from Heidenheim and Oliver Batista Meier from Preußen Münster also joined the club. Paderborn have not opted to build their squad exclusively with experienced players. Youth and the potential for players to continue developing remain important priorities.

Return after six years

Paderborn return to the Bundesliga with a team that has changed little in its approach to football. Intensity, young players and player development remain central to their work. The difference is that they will now have to test this model at a much higher level. It will be Kettemann's first Bundesliga season. The coach has kept some of the players responsible for promotion, but over the summer he also had to find new faces to replace Bilbija, Baur and Brackelmann. The first few months will show how quickly a revamped Paderborn can find its feet in the top flight.