Bundesliga - St. Pauli lures Blessin with video and the smell of bratwurst
Reading Jeans and a black T-Shirt with the famous skull symbol of the club: Alexander Blessin, in his presentation as the new trainer of FC St. Pauli, left no doubt about his identification with the Hamburg cult-club externally. Seven camera teams followed the first official appearance of the new coach, whose appointment the promotion to the Football-Bundesliga had confirmed just a few hours earlier.
Born in Stuttgart, Blessin, who had previously been under contract with the Belgian Pokal winner and vice-champion Royal Union St. Gilloise, reported cheerfully how St. Pauli's sports director Andreas Bornemann managed to waive international games and instead hire him at the Kiez-Club instead. "He showed me a video of the stadium and the atmosphere," said the 51-year-old.
Even at St. Gilloise, he had loved "coming to the stadium and smelling the Bratwurst," confessed the Swabian and added: "It's still much bigger here." For Blessin, it was, according to his own statement, the first press conference he had conducted in German. At his previous stations in Belgium and at Genoa CFC, English and Italian had been the working languages.
Before he moved abroad, Blessin had been active in the youth sector of RB Leipzig for eight years. Among his trainers were Ralf Rangnick, who currently forms the Austrian national team into one of the secrets of the European championship: "But it was never the plan to return to Germany and train in the Bundesliga." Only in the talks with Bornemann did the image emerge. "It was first curiosity, then it became more interesting," said Blessin.
So far, the new trainer had had little contact with the team. "They are well-deserved on vacation," said Blessin. He had only exchanged a few words with defender Philipp Treu, who had already joined training after his broken fibula. To Peter Nemeth, who will remain co-trainer, he has good contacts: "We have played together at Sportfreunden Siegen."
Together with Andreas Bornemann, Alexander Blessin now focuses on the squad planning. "Now it's about the details," said the sports director. "If Marcel Hartel, with 30 goal involvements, leaves, that's a house number," said the coach about the top scorer of the previous season, who has left the club. "At the same time, that's also a chance for the other players," he meant.
He is aware that he is following in the big footsteps of promotion hero Fabian Hürzeler as the new coach, a fact that is clear to the former professional, who played twice with Stuttgarter Kickers at the Millerntor in his active career. For him, however, it is clear: "I am not Fabi 2.0, but I am Alex Blessin."
The squad of the Bundesliga promotion team should already have taken concrete forms by the training start on July 8. A good month later, the season opener at Millerntor is scheduled. On August 9 (18.30 hours), Italian Europa League winner Atalanta Bergamo is the guest. By then, Alexander Blessin wants to have moved into his own apartment: "I don't like the hotel life."
FC St. Pauli Communication FC St. Pauli
- Alexander Blessin, the new coach of FC St. Pauli, enthusiastically shared his experience of meeting with sports director Andreas Bornemann, who secured his hire at the Belgian club Royal Union St. Gilloise.
- Bornemann showcased the atmosphere of the Kiez-Club to Blessin by presenting a video, which ultimately convinced him to leave his position at Genoa CFC.
- Previously, Blessin had worked in the youth sector of RB Leipzig for eight years, despite not initially planning to return to Germany to coach in the Bundesliga.
- Andreas Bornemann and Alexander Blessin are now focusing on squad planning, considering the departure of top scorer Marcel Hartel as both a challenge and an opportunity for other players.
- The promotion team's squad is expected to take shape by the July 8 training start, with an opening-day Bundesliga match against Atalanta Bergamo (August 9, 18.30 hours) set for the Millerntor Stadium.
- Alexander Blessin, conscious of following in Fabian Hürzeler's footsteps as the new coach, emphasized his unique identity, stating, "I am not Fabi 2.0, but I am Alex Blessin."
