Скачать или смотреть Why Alexander Blessin has been one of the best head coaches in the Bundesliga this season

I really think you can make a strong case that Alexander Blessin has been one of the top head coaches in the Bundesliga this season. It’s not because St. Pauli pulled off some miracle run to win the Pokal or broke into the top four. It’s the way he’s handled the job that’s been so impressive.

He stepped in after Fabian Hürzeler left for Brighton, inheriting a team that wasn’t even supposed to be in the Bundesliga. This was a squad with no big budget, no deep bench—just heart. Hürzeler had worked wonders to get them promoted, and Blessin came in with a completely different style and somehow kept things moving forward.

Right now, St. Pauli are close to beating their all-time Bundesliga points record, which was set back in 1996. And they’ve done it by becoming one of the most defensively solid teams in the league. Seriously, they allow fewer shots on goal per game than clubs like Dortmund, Leipzig, and Frankfurt. That’s no small feat.

Blessin’s managed to get results, even against teams like Leverkusen, and he’s done it playing hard, compact, defensive football. Whether at home or away, they stay disciplined, and it’s working. If they stay up this season—and it looks like they will—it’s going to be largely down to the job he’s done. He deserves a ton of credit for it.