FCSG's Cup triumph was overshadowed by internal power issues. Now Hüppi & Co. are asserting themselves. The president rejects the accusation of a calculated communication maneuver - and comments on Marwin Hitz, who had hoped for a seat on the board of directors.
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- Matthias Hüppi remains FCSG Chairman; his colleagues withdraw their resignations, while Patrick Thoma leaves the Board of Directors.
- Hüppi wanted to keep major shareholders and the Board of Directors clearly separate.
- His statement in the SRF interview was not planned, says Hüppi.
- Although he does not rule out a future for Marwin Hitz under his leadership, he does let it slip that he did not find the former goalkeeper's actions appropriate.
President Matthias Hüppi made it clear at today's media conference that he would remain president and that his colleagues had revoked their resignations. In Urs Baumer, Marwin Hitz, Stefan Kölliker and Martina Wüthrich, four new board members were ready to take over the reins together with Patrick Thoma, who was already on the board, and Kölliker would have succeeded Hüppi as president.
Now the official U-turn: Patrick Thoma, the member of the Board of Directors who, as a major shareholder, had only been on the Board since the fall and who, according to media reports, wanted to increase the power of the shareholders within the club, is leaving. A situation that Hüppi could not - and would not - support.
The president is of the opinion that major shareholders should function separately from the board of directors, which has only been the case to a limited extent since the election of Thoma (15.01% of shares). "There has been a certain rift, we have struggled to find solutions," admits Hüppi.
According to the St. Galler Tagblatt, he gave the major shareholders Roland Gutjahr and Thoma an ultimatum by Tuesday evening: either they withdraw or he does. Thoma and Gutjahr are now selling their shares in FC St. Gallen Event AG - as are Ernst Eisenhut and Martin Jäger - to the six remaining shareholders.
The pressure from the public had become too great. It was not only sponsors who stepped in to support the previous board of directors, but also the cantonal government. The organized fan scene took a stand with banners after the cup final and got the ball rolling. They threatened to temporarily boycott season ticket renewals if Hüppi were to leave.
A clever move by Hüppi?
Hüppi himself made it clear in an interview with SRF after the Cup triumph that not everyone at the club was pulling in the same direction and that he, as president, had to keep damage away from the club. "There are tendencies that we will not accept in this form. It is inconceivable that in the best phase of the club's history, not everyone is united behind the club," said Hüppi on Sunday.
Three days later, he, who as a communications expert is well aware of the effect of words at the right moment, did not want to know anything about a targeted action. "What slipped out was not planned, I'm not that clever. It slipped out because we've had big discussions at the club in recent weeks and months." There are non-negotiable values that he has to live by. "In the end, we can only do it together."
Hitz stands there with his pants cut off
When asked whether FCSG wants to integrate Marwin Hitz into the club, shareholder Philipp Bienz says that they now want to let the board of directors work in peace in this constellation. But in the future, Hitz, who stepped down as goalkeeper in Basel at the end of the season, could become an issue in discussions about succession options.
Hüppi himself did not want to rule out the possibility of a successor, at least publicly: "Footballers like Hitz or Tranquillo Barnetta have to be on our radar. Then it's a matter of implementing this at the right moment. But that's a process - it doesn't happen overnight," the 68-year-old says. A hint from Hüppi that the former international was probably too quick - or in conjunction with the wrong allies - to seek a position at the club.
Hüppi also criticizes the fact that, in his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors, people were simply put in front of him without having exchanged ideas with him. "You have to get to know each other to find out whether you're a good fit," says Hüppi.
Even if there is no major upheaval, the second cup win in the club's history will forever be associated with the discussions surrounding the question of leadership. In future, the focus will return to the sporting side of things.
