Nico Patschinski

Patschinski's new club was FC St. Pauli where he would have his biggest success in the next three years. With Hamburg-based St. Pauli, Patschinski gained promotion to the Bundesliga and scored the second goal in St. Pauli's 2–1 victory over Intercontinental Cup holders FC Bayern Munich. FC St. Pauli created a T-shirt to commemorate the event, naming the club "Weltpokalsieger-Besieger" (German for Intercontintal Cup winner beaters).

Citing a lack of trust, Union dissolved the player's contract on 4 March 2009.

During his spell at Ahlen the football magazine RUND discovered that Patschinski's grandparents were Polish and he would be eligible to play for Poland national football team. However, the interest cooled off as the Polish manager had already selected his team of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Even though the PZPN president had signaled interest for matches after the World Cup, Patschinski did not hear anything from them again.

At the start of the 2006–07 season, Patschinski returned to the club of his youth, Union Berlin. His team had a mixed season, alternating between promotion hope and relegation fight. In the end, Union Berlin saved themselves from relegation and Patschinski scored a Goal of the Week against his former club FC St. Pauli. Patschinski admitted that he had meant to cross the ball. In the following season Patschinski and Union Berlin qualified for the newly created 3. Liga.

Patschinski has three children. He and Mariana Kautz were married in December 2006. Their relationship ended in winter 2009. Since July 2015, Patschinski has worked as a funeral director in the Hamburg area.

However, St. Pauli's stay in the top flight was short when the team was relegated at the end of the 2001–02 season St. Pauli were also relegated from the 2. Bundesliga in the following season and Patschinski found himself on the bench after the winter break, as new manager Franz Gerber did not value him.

Patschinski did not have a good time in Potsdam, even though he played regularly. The fans had an inherent distrust of Berlin-born players and were quick to criticize them. In the summer of 1998, Patschinski left the club and signed a contract with Dynamo Dresden. In a match with his new club in Babelsberg, Patschinski scored and subsequently showed the fans the bird.

Patschinski made his debut in the senior team in 1994 and established himself as a regular in the following season. But in 1997, Union were hit hard by financial troubles and Patschinski took up the offer of Potsdam-based SV Babelsberg 03.

Patschinski began to play ice hockey in SC Dynamo Berlin's youth department. He was inspired by his father who himself had been a successful ice hockey player. Two years later, Patschinski switched sports and took up football, joining BFC Dynamo. In 1988, Patschinski moved to 1. FC Union Berlin.

Nico Patschinski (born 8 November 1976 in Berlin) is a former German footballer who last played for Niendorfer TSV.