Matthias Hüppi remains FC St. Gallen president as four shareholders withdraw

Matthias Hüppi has secured his position as president of FC St. Gallen, concluding a significant power struggle within the club's leadership. The decision, confirmed at a press conference on Wednesday morning, comes after the recent Swiss Cup victory and follows a period of public conflict at the club's highest levels.

Hüppi, visibly emotional, stated that the decisions made in the preceding 48 hours were entirely in the club's best interest, emphasizing that the focus is on the club's welfare, not individual personalities. "This principle is non-negotiable for me," Hüppi declared, adding that personal attacks and animosity have no place at FC St. Gallen, despite any disagreements.

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This principle is non-negotiable for me.

A key aspect of the resolution involves a shift in the shareholder structure. Four board members, Peter Germann, Patrick Gründler, Christoph Hammer, and Benedikt Würth, who had initially announced their resignations for the end of June, will now remain. Instead, four shareholders, Ernst Eisenhut, Martin Jäger, Roland Gutjahr, and Patrick Thoma, will withdraw from the shareholder group. Thoma, who had only joined the board in the fall, is now departing. This restructuring reduces the shareholder group from ten to six individuals.

The outcome, favoring Hüppi's continued leadership, became increasingly apparent throughout Wednesday morning due to substantial opposition to his potential ousting. This resistance came from the public, political figures, and notably, the club's fan base. A petition demanding that Hüppi and the entire board remain in their positions garnered nearly 40,000 signatures. Furthermore, both the St. Gallen Cantonal government and the city government had publicly supported the current club leadership on Tuesday.

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Hate and witch hunts against individuals, regardless of who they are, have no place here, despite disagreements.