Second division football club FC St. Pauli announced Simon Zoller’s commitment on Friday. The 32-year-old striker is moving from Bundesliga club VfL Bochum to Millerntor and, according to media reports, will receive a two-year contract.
The clubs have agreed not to disclose the transfer terms. “Simon Zoller is an experienced striker who has proven, both now and in the past, that he can score goals at the absolute top level. In general, he is a very good team player who makes his environment better,” said sporting director Andreas Bornemann about the signing.
Coach Fabian Hürzeler also praised the new signing: “On the pitch and especially in the box, he acts cleverly, brings a lot of experience and is very intelligent in the game. Simon is also very hardworking and reliable when working against the ball, and is also very well trained tactically , which is extremely important for our game.”
Spectacular turnaround in Zoller poker
However, the circumstances of the transfer are remarkable. According to media reports, the attacker was already in agreement with second division competitor Fortuna Düsseldorf on Thursday, all papers were ready for signature, even the obligatory medical check had already been completed. But the Rhinelanders’ supervisory board was still hesitant to approve the transfer.
Too long, at least for Zoller and his advisor. Because when the Fortuna committees finally gave the green light for the 32-year-old’s commitment on Thursday evening, he had already decided differently. St. Pauli found out about the Düsseldorf stalemate and made a contract offer to Zoller – which he accepted.
St. Pauli’s “complete package” was the deciding factor
“I’m really looking forward to the new challenge,” said Zoller in a club statement. “Between the different options, the overall package at St. Pauli really convinced me.”
Zoller made 109 appearances in Bochum, scored 33 goals and prepared 21 more. Overall, the striker appeared in 114 games in the Bundesliga, scoring 17 goals and providing the assists for eight more. In the second Bundesliga, Zoller has made 119 appearances with 40 goals and 19 assists.
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Hamburg Journal | 09/01/2023 | 19:30 o’clock
