FC St. Gallen is running on fumes. Enrico Maassen's professionals have 32 games in their bones this season. Nevertheless, they still have a chance of advancing in the Conference League.
19.12.2024, 05:00
19.12.2024, 06:49
SDA
FC St. Gallen played a third more games last term than at the same point last season. As a result, the team has lost some of its energy and flow. The former Super League leaders are longing for the winter break but still have a small chance of reaching the knockout phase of the Conference League, even in their decimated form.
The prerequisites for this are an away win on Thursday at struggling Bundesliga club Heidenheim and support from other places. Then there is hope of finishing among the top 24 teams with seven points. There is no lack of will, fighting spirit, passion and solidarity, as the 2:0 away win in Zurich on Sunday proved. It was more a lack of class, penetration and efficiency to take advantage of the rare opportunities they created and to be rewarded for their energy-sapping efforts.
Heidenheim in crisis
Like FCZ, St. Gallen's next opponents Heidenheim are also in crisis. The team from Baden-Württemberg, who were promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time last year, have lost seven games in a row, most recently including the Swabian derby against Stuttgart with former St. Gallen players Ermedin Demirovic and Leonidas Stergiou. Heidenheim, who have already qualified for the knockout rounds of the Conference League, are in 16th place in the Bundesliga and are struggling after a good start to the season.
There is a parallel to FC St. Gallen. After six rounds, the team from eastern Switzerland led the Super League standings. Enrico Maassen's players flourished. After six years under Peter Zeidler, a new zest for the game developed. With imaginative and variable attacking football and a more stable defense, they were able to inspire. Champions YB (4:0) and FCZ (4:1) were swept away and the oldest football club in mainland Europe excelled in the Conference League.
Despite exhausting travel and energy-sapping matches in Kazakhstan, Poland and, above all, against the favorites Trabzonspor in Turkey, FC St. Gallen qualified for the European Cup league phase. This earned the eastern Swiss club prestige and a signing bonus of three million francs and - indirectly - a further four million francs with the sale of Isaac Schmidt to Leeds United.
Great effort, little return
Euphoria broke out in St.Gallen, but strength dwindled and injuries to Geubbels, Görtler, Akolo, Milosevic, Ambrosius and Stanic, among others, became more frequent. The performances deteriorated, as did the flow of the game, transition play, passing accuracy and finishing ability. "We were often not rewarded for our efforts," said coach Maassen. "There were many close games that we couldn't decide in our favor. We achieved one of our goals for the season by reaching the European Cup league phase, but we missed out on another prematurely and criminally. We were eliminated in the cup round of 16 in Bellinzona after an inadequate performance. Some key players could not be adequately replaced."
Multiple stresses too great
St. Gallen have not been able to win at home for seven games. "We dropped points against Yverdon and Winterthur in particular. The high number of games every three days is unusual for my players, both physically and mentally. That's not an excuse, it's a reality." Nevertheless, the 2-0 win at FC Zurich has allowed them to catch up with the top half of the table. They are only two points away from sixth place and four points away from the 4th place they are aiming for, which would lead to another European Cup qualification.
Coach Maassen is proud of his team, which runs and fights with courage and for each other. He is convinced that close games in the second half of the season will once again end in his team's favor. His Christmas wish: "I hope that all the injured players will be fit again in time for the second half of the season and that we can attack with renewed vigor. And maybe we'll experience another great moment as underdogs in Heidenheim."
