Silvio Meraj is leaving the club.

Another FCS bombshell: Merkaj is also leaving.

Things moved quickly at FC Südtirol on the final day of the transfer window. After several arrivals and departures, the next big surprise came in the evening: Silvio Merkaj, one of the most important players of recent years, is leaving the club.

September 01, 2026

From: tu/pm

Events unfolded rapidly in Bolzano on the final day of the transfer window. Just before the transfer deadline at 20 p.m., the lights at FC Südtirol must have been on one last time: With Lorenzo Anghelè, Kevin Zeroli and Mattia Pellini, the Red and Whites signed three new players, while at the same time the departures of Alessandro Vimercati, Frederic Veseli and Marco Romano Frigerio were announced.

But that wasn't all: Shortly afterwards came the next big announcement with the departure of Silvio Merkaj. The 28-year-old striker is permanently transferring to league rivals Vicenza, where Werner Seeber, a South Tyrolean, is part of the club's management.

His departure is a complete bombshell. Merkaj has been one of FC Südtirol's most important players in recent years. Since joining from Virtus Entella in August 2023, he has made 110 appearances for the club, scoring 20 goals. Last season alone, the striker netted nine goals in 38 competitive matches. He scored his 20th goal for FCS on the second matchday of the current season against Benevento.

After Casiraghi now also Merkaj

The transfer is particularly noteworthy in light of another high-profile departure. It had already been announced earlier on Tuesday that... Daniele Casiraghi is leaving FC Südtirol. With Merkaj's departure, another player who has significantly shaped the team's image in recent years is leaving within a very short period. These two departures, along with numerous other personnel changes, point to a major overhaul of the state capital's squad.

Merkaj provided quite a few great moments. © L. Ognibene

For FC Südtirol, this brings to a close an extremely eventful final day of the transfer window. Three new signings and several departures were announced within just a few hours – and the club added a particularly surprising finale in the evening with the departure of Merkaj.