Bundesliga - Reports: Coach Blessin's move to St. Pauli perfect
Few days before the start of the preparation for the first season in the Football-Bundesliga after 13 years, FC St. Pauli has clarified the most important personnel question.
According to consistent media reports, the relatively unknown Alexander Blessin is taking over as the new coach. The "Hamburger Abendblatt" and "Het Nieuwsblad" from Belgium reported that Blessin signed a three-year contract with the promotion team. There was initially no confirmation from FC St. Pauli. The 51-year-old is taking over from Fabian Hürzeler.
The 31-year-old had bid farewell to Hamburg a few weeks after the second league championship and the subsequent promotion to the English Premier League. He now works for Brighton & Hove Albion. He had extended his contract in Hamburg as late as March.
Through the transfer, FC St. Pauli received a compensation fee. A portion of this must now be used for the signing of Blessin. The native Stuttgart resident had a contract with his previous club Royal Union St. Gilloise until 2025. According to "Abendblatt" and "Nieuwsblad", the compensation fee is in the six-figure range.
Interestingly, both Brighton & Hove Albion and Royal Union St. Gilloise have the British investor Tony Bloom as their strongman.
Blessin made a name for himself mainly abroad
Blessin played seven times for VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. Otherwise, he was active from the Oberliga to the 2. Bundesliga. As a professional coach, Blessin has made a name for himself mainly abroad. He worked from 2012 to 2020 in the youth sector at RB Leipzig. He then went to KV Ostende (Belgium) and Genua CFC (Italy) in 2023 to St. Gilloise.
With the team, he won the Belgian Cup in the previous season and finished second in the championship. In the Conference League, he led St. Gilloise past Eintracht Frankfurt.
Now, Blessin, along with sporting director Andreas Bornemann, must make the team competitive for the Bundesliga. It won't be easy. In addition to Hürzeler, performance player Marcel Hartel has also left the club for St. Louis. A few new players are still to be expected.
Blessin will meet his new team for the first time on July 8 during the preparation. The first official game is the first round of the DFB-Pokal on August 16 against Hallesche FC.
- The report in 'Hamburger Abendblatt' and 'Het Nieuwsblad' from Belgium suggest that Alexander Blessin, the new coach of FC St. Pauli, has agreed to a three-year contract with the Bundesliga promotion team.
- Fabian Hürzeler, the previous coach, had bid farewell to Hamburg after the second league championship and promotion to the English Premier League, and is now working for Brighton & Hove Albion.
- The transfer of Hürzeler to Brighton & Hove Albion resulted in a compensation fee for FC St. Pauli, a portion of which will be used for the signing of Blessin.
- The 51-year-old Blessin had a contract with Royal Union St. Gilloise until 2025, and the compensation fee for his transfer is reportedly in the six-figure range.
- Both Brighton & Hove Albion and Royal Union St. Gilloise have Tony Bloom as their strongman, a British investor.
- Blessin made a name for himself mainly abroad, having worked in the youth sector at RB Leipzig from 2012 to 2020, and then moving to KV Ostende (Belgium) and Genua CFC (Italy) before joining St. Gilloise.
- With St. Gilloise, Blessin led the team to a Belgian Cup victory in the previous season and finished second in the championship, also guiding them past Eintracht Frankfurt in the Conference League.
