Second division soccer team FC St. Pauli has released head coach Timo Schultz. The club announced on Tuesday. The Presidium unanimously followed the recommendation of the sporting directors. Assistant coach Fabian Hürzeler will initially lead the training, according to a statement from the club. President Oke Göttlich and sports director Andreas Bornemann described the separation as a difficult but necessary decision – and it came as at least a bit of a surprise, since Schultz is considered a Ur-Paulian.
“We have analyzed and discussed the past few months intensively and unfortunately feel compelled to act now,” said sporting director Bornemann. Göttlich confirmed: “We always have to keep an eye on the overall well-being of FC St. Pauli – and our sporting record in the 2022 calendar year is that of a relegated team.” The president had recently repeatedly affirmed that the club belongs in the top third of the table.
Ex-professional Schultz took over the Kiez-Club in July 2020 and failed last season in a tight race to get promoted to the Bundesliga. The season so far has been characterized by mixed performances. Hamburg are currently in 15th place in the table – tied on points with Arminia Bielefeld in the relegation rank and 1. FC Magdeburg in 17th place. The team starts training again on December 9th.
“Timo is a deserving and genuine St. Paulian,” praised Göttlich. The decision was correspondingly difficult. “Whether as a player, assistant coach, coach or simply as a person: Timo Schultz was, is and will always be welcome at the Millerntor and will be a part of FC St. Pauli,” he affirmed.
Schultz has held various positions at the club since 2005. As a player, he played for Holstein Kiel, VfB Lübeck and the Werder Bremen amateurs. Before his job as head coach, he was assistant coach and youth coach at Hamburg.
Especially on the offensive, Schultz had less quality in the team this season than last year. The top performers Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (to Freiburg) and Guido Burgstaller (Rapid Vienna) left the club in the summer. The lack of penetrating power was particularly evident in away games, in the away table the Kiezklub occupies last place with only 3 points. At home he is enough for 7th place here, especially the 3-0 win against HSV in the city provided one of the few highlights.
Striker Elias Saad has been confirmed as a new signing. The 22-year-old attacker comes on the short official route from the north regional league club Eintracht Norderstedt, for whom he has already scored ten goals and prepared three goals this season. There are also three more goals in the Hamburg Cup.
“Elias Saad is a player that we have been watching for a while. We still see great development potential in him, so he fits perfectly into our concept,” said St. Pauli’s sporting director Andreas Bornemann about the winger.
