1. FC Union Berlin: Promotional hero Marcel Hartel is now hungry in the MLS

Marcel Hartel has experienced a lot with him 1. FC Union Berlin. The offensive player brought a lot with him from the time between 2017 and 2019 that he spent with the Kenneth soccer players over. Certainly, for example, the nickname Cello, which one of the assistant coaches gave him back then. His overhead kick in the 1-0 win against 1. FC Köln, from whom Hartel had come to Köpenick once, is also remembered. The audience cheered him on HIGH– “Sportschau” voted the goal of the year 2019.

Hartel was very popular at 1. FC Union Berlin, after all he was on the pitch in the two relegation matches, which ensured that the Union team made it into the football league for the first time.Bundesliga rose Recently he was also popular with FC St. Pauli. There he contributed greatly to the club’s promotion from the second division to the Bundesliga – with 17 goals and 13 assists. But the 28-year-old did not extend his contract in Hamburg in the summer of 2024 and decided not to play in the Bundesliga for a second time.

Lutz Pfannenstiel is the sports director at <a href="https://www.world-today-news.com/hertha-bsc-eduard-lowens-mls-transfer-fixed-changes-to-st-louis/" title="Hertha BSC: Eduard Löwen's MLS transfer fixed – changes to St. Louis”>St. Louis City SC

Instead, Marcel Hartel left Deutschlandplayed in the Major League Soccer (MLS) for four years. There he scored the winning goal to make it 2-1 in the League Cup against Dallas. However, Hartel’s season with St Louis City SC will soon come to an end, on October 19.

Lutz Pfannenstiel was the man who drew Hartel to St. Louis – despite several big offers from other clubs, even international ones. The former football goalkeeper is now known as a player, coach and official who travels around the world. He coached in Armenia, Cuba and Namibia, among other places, worked as a television expert, as a scout at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, as a coach trainer, sporting director at Fortuna Düsseldorf and, from 2020, as sporting director at City- the city of St. Louis.

The MLS team began play in 2023. Before Hartel, Pfannenstiel guided Swiss goalkeeper Roman Bürki to the US. Also former Hertha player Eduard Löwen and Brazilian Joao Klauss. The team caused a sensation. He immediately took first place in the Western Conference. 17 wins has never been accomplished by a rookie in the league. This summer, in addition to Hartel, Pfannenstiel also brought Cedric Teuchert, who had also played at 1. FC Union Berlin until January 2022 but could not be sure of the offense under coach Urs Fischer, to the USA .

“Marcel certainly had a lot of offers from Europe, but he was only interested in the MLS. “I’m very happy that he won’t be playing in France for a Champions League club or somewhere in the Bundesliga, but here with us,” Lutz Pfannenstiel told the German Press Agency. “The move was worth it when he got we Marcel on a free transfer, as one of the most popular players on the German market.

Hartel and Teuchert in the same league as Messi, Giroud and Reus

Hartel knew that the MLS did not have the reputation of being one of the best leagues in the world. But he didn’t see the major league in American and Canadian men’s soccer as just an operetta league. He was surprised by the quality.

There are many big-name professionals in the MLS, and most of them are at the end of their careers. Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, for example, was instrumental in unprecedented proportions for the league and set records for TV subscriptions, jersey sales and tickets. But the signings of Frenchmen Hugo Lloris and Olivier Giroud from Los Angeles FC and, more recently, Marco Reus’ move to Los Angeles Galaxy also follow the same principle.

Pfannenstiel has a different approach. “Our prey scheme looks different. We will bring in players who are maybe 26 or 27 years old. We have very few players over 30,” he said. “You can’t get a top star from the Premier League or the Bundesliga here at that age. I’d rather bring in players who will make us better and who is hungry for success, just someone like Marcel.

St. Louis missed the playoffs this season. Injuries and a coaching change threw the team out of rhythm. Since Hartel and Teuchert joined the team this summer, there has been a shift. Four of the last eight games were won and there were only two defeats. Teuchert has five goals and four assists during this period, Hartel has two goals and seven assists.

Hartel was hailed as a football god in the Alte Försterei

Hartel wants to travel through the US with his family after the main tour ends. As for his involvement in St Louis, which made many St Pauli fans so sad that they wanted to organize a collective campaign to stay in Hamburg, Hartel said that it was not easy for him to leave St Pauli. “But sometimes special opportunities arise in life.” This includes the fact that the man they hailed as the “football god” in the An der Alten Försterei stadium is wearing a FC St. Pauli wants to win the MLS one day.