SC Paderborn 07 are back in the Bundesliga for the third time in 2026/27, and they have never stayed up for more than a year. Last season their squad’s average age was 24.7, which is a fair warning sign for a club about to face the jump back to the top flight. The new season starts with a very young group and a lot of turnover.
Paderborn's young squad
The age profile is the obvious place to start. Paderborn were the second youngest side in Bundesliga 2, and only three of their 14 arrivals were 26 or older. That is a deliberate build, not a short-term patch job.
Ralf Kettemann now has to make that shape work against much stronger opponents. The club’s promotion was deserved, but it does not erase the pattern of quick returns to the second tier. In the Bundesliga, the margin for a young squad is thin, especially when experience has been traded for mobility and upside.
Vidović and Curda as attacking reference points
Gabriel Vidović is the headline addition, arriving from Dinamo Zagreb at 22 after producing 12 combined goals and assists in the Croatian top flight last term. Sebastian Lange said, “His record speaks for itself. He's versatile, technically superb and also excels in dribbling and finishing. In recent years, he's also gained experience at an international level and will enrich our attack.”
That is the role Paderborn need him to play. Vidović already has eight senior appearances for Bayern Munich and one loan appearance at Mainz on his record, so the Bundesliga should not feel completely new. Laurin Curda is the other name worth keeping close, after seven league goals from 32 appearances and the winner against Wolfsburg in the play-off second leg. Paderborn need both players to carry more of the attacking load than a newly promoted side usually prefers.
The club has added youth and a forward who can score and create. The test begins when the Bundesliga schedule starts and Kettemann finds out whether that is enough against teams that punish mistakes quickly.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
