There was no longer much doubt but it is now certain: Alexander Blessin will fulfill a personal dream and coach in the Bundesliga. The man who refused other offers in recent weeks will become the new coach of Sankt Pauli, promoted to the German elite this spring.
Everything is settled between the clubs, and the D2 champion will compensate the Union with an amount between €700,000 and 1 million. The German T1 also found a personal agreement with his new club, where he signed for three years.
Blessin said goodbye to the players present when training resumed in Lier, as well as to his staff and returned to Germany with a Belgian Cup and a coach of the year title in his suitcases.
It remains for the Union to find a successor, as after the departures of Mazzù in 2022 and Geraerts in 2023. What profile would this successor have precisely, who will have to ensure that the Union keeps the lead in the championship and allows his team to to have a beautiful face in the Europa League or even in the Champions League?
Difficult to imagine a deputy
One thing seems certain: it would be complicated to see one of Alexander Blessin’s former assistants become head coach. If Karel Geraerts had managed to make this move when Felice Mazzù left, neither Bart Meert (T2) nor Bart Kopyt (T3) seem to have the shoulders or the ambitions to take charge of the team. The future Union coach should therefore come from outside the club.
But with what profile? During its three seasons in Division 1A, the Union always played 3-5-2. Felice Mazzù had switched to this tactical system in D1B and had not let go after his rise. Karel Geraerts followed then Alex Blessin took over the system in place. Given the players present in the squad, the future coach must have a tactical approach close to this system and not be a supporter of the four-man defense.
Another visible element in the Union’s game since its rise to D1A is the fact of daring to play the game regardless of the opponent. Management will therefore certainly try to attract a coach with offensive and modern ideas and not a coach with a defensive reputation. In this vein, it is clear that president Alex Muzio and his men will get their hands on a man focused on data and pressing as has been the case in recent seasons. It is difficult to imagine seeing a former coach arrive far from modern ideas of football.
Financially attainable
One of the names that could stand out is that of Miron Muslic, the coach of Cercle Bruges. However, the 41-year-old Austrian coach is financially unattainable for a club like Union. This is another element to take into account: the Brussels management will not go all out for a coach coming from another financial dimension or another already under contract who would be difficult to poach via financial negotiation.
Management will not go all out for a coach coming from another financial dimension.
However, Union supporters should not worry: the management has already shown in recent years its ability to find the right person at the moment, whether this evening in terms of coach or player. In any case, the group resumed training this Wednesday and plays its first friendly match on Tuesday against Nijlen. Waiting once again for a new coach to attack the coming season…
2024-06-27 07:32:00
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