Hoeneß reflects on a “disappointing afternoon” as Stuttgart fall at St. Pauli | OneFootball

Stuttgart suffered their first Bundesliga defeat since early December on Saturday afternoon, with an uncharacteristically disjointed performance contributing to a 2-1 loss at the Millerntor-Stadion.

Head coach Sebastian Hoeneß did not hide his frustration after the final whistle:

“Congratulations to FC St. Pauli - it was a disappointing afternoon for us. We struggled this time, were too erratic at times, and gave the ball away too easily. It was clear that it would be an open game today. We had our chances and opportunities, but conceded the first goal far too easily.”

Hoeneß then went on to acknowledge the strength of the hosts’ display:

“We then came out of halftime well, but conceded a penalty to make it 2-0, and after that, it was obviously an extremely difficult game. In the end, we have to acknowledge that FC St. Pauli deserved today's victory.”

Chris Führich, who was penalised for the handball that led to St. Pauli’s second goal, expressed his frustration with the decision:

“The penalty situation was unfortunate; the footage shows there was absolutely no intent behind the hand movement, but rather that I wanted to control the ball forward with my thigh - which makes it all the more bitter that a penalty was subsequently awarded.”

Ermedin Demirović, meanwhile, called for a determined response from the squad:

“This time we sometimes failed to execute the basics on the pitch - and St. Pauli took the wind out of our sails at times. The result is bitter and frustrating, especially since we arrived in good form and highly motivated, and had worked hard for it in recent weeks. We now have to continue with full determination - and show that this defeat was just a blip.”

Stuttgart will look to respond next weekend as Köln visit for Saturday’s Topspiel, with Die Schwaben aiming to reassert their grip on a top-four place.