FC St. Pauli

…the decision-making process:

Bornemann: "It's important for me to say that it wasn't our aim to present THE desired candidate in a short space of time. It was important to have a multi-stage process at the end of which our preferred choice wins through. I’m therefore delighted it worked out and I was able to propose Timo Schultz to the boards full of conviction."

Schultz: "It's a big opportunity for me to take the next step in the professional game here – at my club. I'm grateful to Andreas and the club for giving me this opportunity. I have to say the talks were open and transparent from the outset. In the end, it's irrelevant whether I was the first, second or third candidate they spoke to."

…waking up as first-team coach for the first time:

Schultz: "I have to admit I didn't sleep well last night because I'm so looking forward to the task. It's another step forward for me. In the Under-19s things are perhaps a bit calmer and you have a free rein. And now I believe we have a good team. There are lots of things we want to do."

…his view of the senior team:

Schultz: "I've been at the club for 15 years now, eight of them as a coach. Whenever possible I've been at the Millerntor for the home games and I've watched the away games as well, so I think I can claim to know the team well. That's an advantage that will help me settle in quickly. "

…his management style:

Schultz: "Open and transparent. I take the view that the truth is the only thing that helps when all's said and done. Apart from that, I'll be happy if the lads enjoy coming in to work. We'll need that if we're to develop and maybe try out new, innovative things. Together I think we can get something going."

…his philosophy:

Schultz: "Basically, everyone wants to play attractive, attacking football and that's what I want, too. But it's important for me as a coach to see a team that lives and is there for each other. My aim is to give the players a good plan that we can work on in pre-season and then put into practice, and that's something I can actively influence as head coach."

…the coaching team:

Schultz: "We already have our ideas and will discuss them over the next few days. But first we have to talk to the people concerned and then we'll take the next step."

…the outline for pre-season:

Bornemann: "The players who need to catch up on their fitness will resume training on 20 July, with the rest returning on 1 August. We have a skeleton plan that we'll work on with the responsible coaches now. If a request for a training camp is made, we'll look into it. Otherwise, we also have the capabilities to prepare at the Kollau."

…the squad:

Schultz: "We're always on the lookout for decent players. We're in the fortunate position of having lads in the squad who are very versatile. In general, I think a bit more physique would do us good."

Bornemann: "Part of planning is about where the coach sees the players and where they can unfold their strengths. The basic quality of the squad presented the opportunity to finish a bit higher up the table, but that doesn't mean we're going to burden Timo with the expectation of challenging at the top. After the last few years, the time has come for a bit more humility in setting our targets. We'll have a period of rebuilding with lots of young players and this is the foundation on which we need to create a better outlook through hard work."

…players whose contracts have expired:

Bornemann: "We aren't going to be forced into a tight timeframe but it's certainly a matter of fairness for us to let people know early if a decision is negative."

…the loan players:

Bornemann: "The loan players were a big asset this season rather than a burden. Nevertheless, we knew the loan was finite. A number of factors come into play now. All the players have said they felt extremely comfortable here, but it's not their decision to make, it's the clubs they are contracted to who decide.“

…the young players:

Schultz: "That's a question of squad planning and the short- and medium-term perspective. Yes, I know all the young players very well, but the best players will play. For me, some of the young players have lacked the ultimate desire to show they're better than others. The only one who's made the breakthrough to the first team in my eyes is Finn Ole Becker. Otherwise, there are lots of academy players capable of mounting a serious challenge on the established players. They have to prove that, however, and the doors are always open if they do."

…contact to Jos Luhukay:

Schultz: "I haven't been at the training ground since March because of the Covid lockdown. I think Jos initiated many things where I'm not too far away from him in terms of substance. The task now is to put these things back together. It's up to us now to find our way. I'm fully convinced we know what things we can change. Although I come from the past, I'd prefer to stand for the future. I want to stand for that, and I also want to bring in a certain culture of innovation. If we can restore that sense of being there for each other, we'll have amazing power."

…coaching debuts:

Schultz: "I took over the Under-17s from Hansi Bargfrede on a Thursday evening. On the Friday, I was sitting on the coach to Leipzig, where we were 3-0 down after 20 minutes. I don't need a repeat of that debut. There's a big difference to your standard coaching appointment, however, in that I have lots of time to plan pre-season and the squad. That's a big advantage that as a coach I cannot rate too highly. I'm looking forward to my debut, the first training session, the first warm-up game and eventually the first competitive fixture."

…Covid-related savings:

Bornemann: "We can all work out that playing for months without crowds is not ideal. No one knows what the ultimate impact will be yet. We can't assume that fans will be allowed back anytime soon, so we have to adapt to the circumstances and organise the best-possible football on that basis."

Photo: Witters