A few days after the cup victory, a power struggle is escalating at the top of FC St.Gallen. President Matthias Hüppi made a public statement on Tuesday and a press conference was also announced for Wednesday. The St.Gallen government and the SVP are also taking a stand.
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- A few days after winning the cup, FC St.Gallen is facing the threat of the next blow: President Matthias Hüppi has spoken out in a press release issued by the club.
- The background to this is tensions between the shareholders and the Board of Directors, which is apparently to be restructured. Stefan Kölliker is being touted as a possible successor.
- The St.Gallen government expresses its concern about the internal conflicts and supports Hüppi and the current club management in a communiqué.
Total chaos at the cup winners in St.Gallen: Barely 48 hours after the great triumph in Bern's Wankdorf, a complete change of management is imminent. As reported by the "St. Galler Tagblatt", President Matthias Hüppi made a "last-ditch attempt" on Tuesday morning to keep the board of directors together in its old line-up.
The association's media release followed in the evening. In it, Hüppi also speaks out: "Together with the shareholders, we are working hard to find a viable and good solution for our FC St.Gallen 1879. I will do everything in my power to ensure that we can continue on our path in a constructive spirit and climate and with the highest level of mutual trust."
The club will announce more information at a press conference on Wednesday (11.00 a.m.). Chairman of the Board of Directors Matthias Hüppi and shareholders Philipp Bienz and Reto Preisig will be present at the media conference.
Fans launch online petition
The background to this is tensions between the shareholders and the Board of Directors. The latter is to be reorganized around former SVP National Councillor Stefan Kölliker. Ex-professional Marwin Hitz, lawyer Martina Wüthrich and trustee Urs Baumer are to join. The current board members Peter Germann, Patrick Gründler, Christoph Hammer and Benedikt Würth will step down from the FC St.Gallen board of directors on June 30.
Only Patrick Thoma is to remain on the Board of Directors - the major shareholder was already appointed to the Board of Directors by the shareholders last fall, which caused tensions even then.
Now a real power struggle has broken out. It remains to be seen whether this has already been decided. As the "Tagblatt" further reports, Matthias Hüppi could resign as chairman in the near future if his rescue attempt fails on Tuesday.
The 68-year-old is sure to have the support of the fans. An online petition calling for the current board of directors to remain in place has already gathered over 30,000 signatures in just a few hours. According to reports, several sponsors are also planning a revolt if the shareholder council's plans are implemented.
St.Gallen government intervenes
Should Hüppi actually resign, Kölliker would probably take over as president. The 55-year-old hinted to "SRF": "We are in a delicate situation. At some point, the president will be replaced." He himself is certain that he can do "a lot of good" for FC St.Gallen.
In the meantime, the St.Gallen government has also taken a stand. In a communiqué following the successful cup final, it said: "The government warmly congratulates FC St.Gallen on this outstanding achievement. At the same time, it notes with concern the reports of internal tensions. It asks all those involved to take care of the club's social responsibility and to act in the interests of the greater good."
The FCSG is far more than just a football club. It is a social link that unites people of different origins, generations and convictions.
President Hüppi is also backed: "This success would not have been possible without the strategic foresight, stability and commitment shown by the current club management and the current Board of Directors over the past few years. The structures established under President Matthias Hüppi and his Board of Directors - sporting, cultural and institutional - form the foundation on which this historic title win was built."
The SVP also has its say
As several people involved in the upheaval planned by the shareholders are close to the SVP, the party leadership of the St.Gallen SVP also felt compelled to issue a statement on Tuesday.
They regret that the celebrations surrounding the Cup victory are being overshadowed by discussions about internal changes at FC St.Gallen. At the same time, the party emphasized that none of its active exponents had been informed about or involved in the plans of the major shareholders.
The SVP therefore rejects any political connection and emphasizes: "For the SVP of the Canton of St.Gallen, the independence of sport and the clubs is of the utmost importance. Sport is sport - politics is politics."
