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Coach Fabian Hürzeler from St. Pauli before the game.
© Bernd Thissen/dpa
The most important personnel issue at FC St. Pauli has been resolved.
Coach Fabian Hürzeler remains with the candidate for promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga.
One can speculate about the contents of the contract.
Hamburg - This is what many FC St. Pauli fans have been waiting for: After months of contract negotiations, the visibly relaxed Fabian Hürzeler has committed to the neighborhood club.
The 31-year-old coach extended his working paper with the leaders of the 2nd Bundesliga.
“I am happy that I have now signed and will hopefully have a lot of successful time at FC St. Pauli in the future,” said Hürzeler at the matchday press conference before the game on Sunday (1.30 p.m./Sky) against Hertha BSC.
The negotiations had dragged on for weeks.
Both sides agreed not to disclose the contents of the contract.
So the most important personnel issues for the Hamburg club have been resolved before the end of the season.
From the club's perspective, the extension and the associated clarity come at a very good time, when the leaders of the 2nd division are suffering unusual defeats and have to compensate for the loss of two top performers in defense chief Eric Smith and offensive player Oladapo Afolayan.
According to media information, the new contract will not contain an exit clause - not even in the event that Hamburg misses promotion this season.
Hürzeler's previous contract with the Kiez club expired at the end of the season.
Given the stable performance, promotion is considered likely, but what does the ambitious Hürzeler do if he misses out on a trip to the first division?
“Football is just day-to-day business,” he said.
“I can influence what happens in the present.
And I signed a contract to stay at St. Pauli.
And that is a clear commitment from me too.”
The decision to extend the contract took months.
Hürzeler, who was born in the USA, always emphasized that he wanted to stay with the club that brought him onto the big football stage.
Nevertheless, he and his consulting agency are said to have long insisted on an exit clause in the new contract, which FC St. Pauli did not want to accept.
Hürzeler has also been linked to Bundesliga clubs.
President Oke Göttlich thanked sports director Andreas Bornemann and Hürzeler “for taking the time necessary to find the best possible solution for all sides - despite increasing public pressure.”
Hürzeler said he never had any “doubts.”
“I think the conversations were always very trusting,” praised the coach.
He is “extremely looking forward to further collaboration.”
He came to FC St. Pauli in 2020 as Timo Schultz's assistant coach.
After separating from Schultz, he took over the team as head coach at the end of 2022 and transformed it from a relegation candidate to a promotion candidate.
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This season, Hürzeler and the Kiez club confirmed this impressive development.
Despite last weekend's defeat at FC Schalke 04, FC St. Pauli is currently still top of the table ahead of Holstein Kiel and city rivals Hamburger SV.
From the perspective of many experts, St. Pauli is considered the number one candidate for promotion and the most stable team in the league.
It was only on matchday 21 that the club suffered its first defeat of the season at 1. FC Magdeburg.
dpa