FC St. Pauli's Bundesliga survival hopes took another heavy blow on Sunday as a 1-2 defeat to Mainz left them languishing in 17th place with just two games remaining. The result has intensified the relegation threat hanging over the club, and the frustration from the stands was impossible to ignore.

Head coach Alexander Blessin found himself in the crosshairs of fan criticism, but the 52-year-old is showing no signs of backing down. "The fans do everything – and of course they're also allowed to boo me. That's fine, I can take it. But they should boo me and not the team. Right now, the team needs support," Blessin said after the match, as reported by Hamburger Abendblatt.

With the club teetering on the edge of relegation, questions about Blessin's future are inevitable. Yet he remains defiant. "I'm not going to throw in the towel. I stand by that, and I'm convinced we can achieve this together. I don't believe – otherwise I would already have spoken to sporting managing director Andreas Bornemann – that a change in this position would help. I simply don't believe that," he stated firmly.

"We can only get through this together. It's also about minimising mistakes," Blessin added, acknowledging the need for improvement in the final stretch.

Club president Oke Göttlich has backed his coach, telling Hamburger Abendblatt that there are currently no plans to part ways with Blessin. That vote of confidence could prove crucial as the team prepares for a daunting run-in.

St. Pauli are level on points with 16th-placed Wolfsburg, who currently hold the relegation playoff spot. The season will come down to two high-stakes matches: a trip to RB Leipzig followed by a potentially decisive home clash against Wolfsburg themselves. For Blessin and his squad, every point now feels like a battle for survival.