The era of Matthias Hüppi at FC St.Gallen could come to an end after the greatest triumph of his time in office. This is because there could be a realignment on the Board of Directors that does not suit the President. A successor is already in place.
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- Shortly after winning the cup, FC St.Gallen is facing a management shake-up: four board members are set to step down on June 30, and new names are ready and waiting.
- President Matthias Hüppi is apparently not in agreement with the planned reshuffle. His contract expires at the end of the year and Stefan Kölliker could succeed him.
- Fans are clearly backing Hüppi and the current board. Differing ideas on the club's strategy could now lead to turbulent days.
The whole of St.Gallen is actually celebrating its first title in 26 years. But just a few days after winning the cup, there could be a big bang in the club's boardroom.
As the "St. Galler Tagblatt" reported on Monday evening, the current board members Peter Germann, Patrick Gründler, Christoph Hammer and Benedikt Würth are to step down from the board of directors on June 30.
The Board is to be restructured. Former SVP National Councillor Stefan Kölliker, ex-professional Marwin Hitz, lawyer Martina Wüthrich and trustee Urs Baumer are to become part of the new Board of Directors. Patrick Thoma is to remain on the Board of Directors.
Kölliker as new president
The problem: President Matthias Hüppi is said to disagree with the new constellation. He would have wanted to continue with the old members and has not yet accepted an offer to continue in office. His contract expires at the end of the year.
Matthias Hüppi's era could therefore come to an end after the greatest triumph of his time in office. His position could be taken over by Kölliker. The 55-year-old is said to have confirmed his presidential intentions to SRF.
Fans back Hüppi
Hüppi said in an SRF interview after the Cup final: "There are tendencies at the moment that we will not accept in this form. It is inconceivable that not everyone is united behind the club during the best phase in its history." He added that the last few weeks and months had been "ultra-hard" for him.
Meanwhile, the fans are clearly behind the current board. After the cup win, they displayed a banner in the stands clearly expressing their support for Hüppi's board of directors. The fan website "einefueralli.ch" also states: "We clearly support an independent, stable and responsible board of directors that has successfully managed the club in recent years."
Different visions
The visions for the club's direction are different. According to the "St. Galler Tagblatt", the new constellation of the Board of Directors wants to establish the club permanently at the top of the Super League, while the previous Board of Directors called for prudence in the autumn.
One thing is already clear: there could be stormy days ahead for FC St.Gallen. Even though the entire city is celebrating its first title in 26 years.
