After Hürzeler's departure - Alexander Blessin becomes new coach at FC St. Pauli
FC St. Pauli has found the successor for promotion trainer Fabian Hürzeler. The Hamburg club signed Alexander Blessin on Thursday. The 51-year-old worked for the Belgian Pokal winner and vice-champion Royal Union St. Gilloise last season. Blessin will be presented at a press conference in the afternoon. The preparation of FC St. Pauli for the new season starts on July 8.
Quoted in a press release from the club, St. Pauli's sporting director Andreas Bornemann said: "With Alexander Blessin, we have been able to win an experienced trainer for FC St. Pauli. He brings a lot of tactical knowledge and has already worked in the top league and internationally in Belgium and Italy."
There were initially no announcements regarding the transfer fees or the duration of the contract.
The new coach is looking forward to his job with the Kiezkickers: "FC St. Pauli has a fantastic pull in Germany and internationally. The club stands for clear values and ambitious work in professional sports. It's a great challenge to train the club after its long time in the second league in the Bundesliga."
Alexander Blessin was Pokalsieger in Belgium
FC St. Pauli was looking for a new head coach after the departure of successful trainer Hürzeler to Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Premier League to lead the team into the first Bundesliga season after 13 years. Since Blessin still had a contract with the Belgians until 2025, FC St. Pauli is likely to have to pay a substantial transfer fee. For the departure of Hürzeler, the club had already paid. Blessin played seven times for VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. Otherwise, he was active from the Oberliga to the 2. Bundesliga as a player. As a trainer in professional football, he made a name for himself abroad. From 2012 to 2020, he worked in the youth sector at RB Leipzig. He came to St. Gilloise via KV Ostende (Belgium) and Genoa CFC (Italy) in 2023.
Key departures at FC St. Pauli
With the team, he won the Belgian Cup and finished second in the championship last season. In the Conference League, he led St. Gilloise past Eintracht Frankfurt. Now, Blessin and sporting director Andreas Bornemann must make the team competitive for the Bundesliga. That won't be easy. In addition to Hürzeler, performance player Marcel Hartel also left the club for St. Louis. Several new players are still to be expected.
Blessin will approach the first Bundesliga season of the Hamburgers "with unity in the team and in the entire club": "I'm incredibly looking forward to challenging the big clubs of the Bundesliga at the Millerntor."
Blessin will meet his new team for the first time on July 8 during the start of the preparation. The first mandatory game is the first round DFB-Pokal match against Halle on August 16.
- Given his success at Royal Union St. Gilloise, where he was the Pokalsieger and finished as vice-champion, Alexander Blessin has been sought after by FC St. Pauli following Fabian Hürzeler's departure to Brighton & Hove Albion.
- After Fabian Hürzeler's move to the English Premier League with Brighton & Hove Albion, FC St. Pauli signed Alexander Blessin, a coach who has experience in the top league and internationally with Belgian and Italian clubs.
- With the departure of Fabian Hürzeler to Brighton & Hove Albion and Marcel Hartel to St. Louis, FC St. Pauli has hired Alexander Blessin, a coach who led St. Gilloise to the Belgian Cup win and a second-place finish in the championship last season.
- Alexander Blessin, the new head coach of FC St. Pauli, expressed his excitement at joining a club with a strong pull not only in Germany but also internationally, stating that it's a great challenge to train the club following its return to the Bundesliga after 13 years.
