FC St. Pauli has appointed Marcel Rapp as their new coach. The 47-year-old was previously coach of Holstein Kiel. Rapp will now manage the Hamburg-based 2. Bundesliga team. With the decision to appoint Rapp, FC St. Pauli has created facts in the coaching question just three weeks after the Bundesliga relegation and a long period of uncertainty surrounding the future of Alexander Blessin. The new coach will be officially presented on Monday (11 am). "We are pleased to have won a coach in Marcel Rapp who brings experience in German professional football and has already proven that he can shape teams and develop players. For the Second Bundesliga, we will again adjust our orientation to some extent", said St. Pauli's sports director Andreas Bornemann on Friday. Rapp emphasized: "At FC St. Pauli, there is a very exciting task waiting for me and I am eager to start preparing for the new season immediately. The club is ambitious and has developed continuously over the past few years. Now I want to actively participate in the next steps at Kollaustraße and Millerntor." Rapp was coach of Holstein Kiel from October 2021 to February this year. In 2024, he led KSV Holstein to their first Bundesliga promotion in history - as runners-up behind FC St. Pauli. However, the Kielers dropped down directly and did not play the expected role in the second league. After a defeat in Karlsruhe, Rapp was relieved of his duties after the 23rd matchday and replaced by Tim Walter.