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The year starts with a bang in Eastern Switzerland. Out of nowhere, FC St. Gallen announced the dismissal of sports director Alain Sutter (55) on Wednesday. The decisive factor for the separation are different opinions about further development in the field of sports. No consensus has been found, explains President Matthias Hüppi (66).
That’s why Sutter has to go. Roger Stilz (46) takes his place. The FCSG brings the Tübach resident, who has signed until 2025, back home. The new sports director spent many years in Germany, where he completed a master’s degree in German studies, worked part-time as a journalist and climbed the career ladder as a football official.
Stilz waited for the perfect offer
After experience as an assistant coach (SC Victoria, HSV and Nuremberg), he led the youth department of St. Pauli between 2016 and 2021. He was subsequently poached by Belgian club SK Beveren and appointed sporting director. But less than a year later he returned to Germany and became sports director at Jahn Regensburg in the 2nd Bundesliga.
Just like in Belgium, Stilz’s time in Regensburg was not crowned with success. After only ten months he said goodbye to the Upper Palatinate for personal reasons. And not because of the embarrassing transfer mishap involving Sarpreet Singh. At that point, Stilz forgot to properly register the New Zealander on loan to the league. As a result, the midfielder missed the entire first half of the season.
Stilz has been unemployed since he left Regensburg. But he didn’t keep his feet still, on the contrary. He had many conversations, intensified contacts and broadened his horizons. Offers come in here and there. But he always lacked ultimate conviction. That suddenly changed when contact was made from Eastern Switzerland.
It worked on the second try
“You have a similar value system to mine. “It felt really good,” Stilz explains. Moreover, his profile is in high demand at the club. “There is nothing worse for me than taking a job that has nothing to do with the tasks I want to do.” The first intensive contact between the sports director and the club took place in late summer. The fact that the contracts have now been signed and the work is finally starting makes him very happy: “I am enthusiastic about the project that is about to start.”
Stilz in St. Gallen was already a candidate. It was in the summer of 2018. At that time, however, for the role of trainer. A certain Peter Zeidler was given priority. Now, as luck would have it, they will work together. At least when it comes to the game idea, the two share a similar philosophy. Both like attacking football that offers something to the public. “I like it when it pops,” says Stilz. But that refers explicitly to the football being played, he adds.
Stilz must drive the next phase of development forward
Stilz does not intend to turn everything upside down in St. Gallen. The first thing he got from the board of directors was to examine the club’s structure so that the next phase of development desired by Hüppi could be launched. However, it is not entirely clear what this should look like in concrete terms.
However, the profile of the new team leader allows isolated conclusions. Stilz’s strength lies in youth work. At St. Pauli they are still enthusiastic about him today. He is also considered a modern sports director. When he was under contract with Beveren, he praised the extensive, creative and data-based scouting used there to generate and increase transfer income. Does he have similar plans in St. Gallen?
Time will tell. And also whether Stilz can fill the big shoes of Alain Sutter.
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team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 BSC Young Boys
|
18
|
23
|
38
|
|
|
2
|
 FC St. Gallen
|
18
|
12
|
33
|
|
|
3
|
 FC Zurich
|
18
|
14
|
31
|
|
|
4
|
 Napkin FC
|
18
|
8th
|
31
|
|
|
5
|
 FC Lugano
|
18
|
2
|
26
|
|
|
6
|
 FC Lucerne
|
18
|
-5
|
25
|
|
|
7
|
 FC Winterthur
|
18
|
-7
|
22
|
|
|
8th
|
 Grasshopper Club Zurich
|
18
|
1
|
21
|
|
|
9
|
 Yverdon Sports FC
|
18
|
-14
|
21
|
|
|
10
|
 FC Lausanne Sport
|
18
|
-5
|
20
|
|
|
11
|
 FC Basel
|
18
|
-10
|
18
|
|
|
12
|
 FC Stade Lausanne Ouchy
|
18
|
-19
|
11
|
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
