Hamburg-based second division club St. Pauli have invited 1,000 refugees from one of the city's reception centres to watch their home friendly against Borussia Dortmund next Tuesday.

The slogan for the match at St Pauli's Millerntor Stadium against German league leaders Dortmund will be "Refugees Welcome" with the thousand invited from temporary accommodation across the north German city.

The players will each walk out hand-in-hand with refugee children from the nearby Hamburg Exhibition centre complex.

Several clubs in Germany's top flight have already set up initiatives to help the refugees arriving in the country.

Bayern Munich have pledged a million euros (US$1.1m) and offered to set up a coaching camp, offering food and German lessons to children of refugees in the Bavarian capital.