St. Pauli leading goal-scorer moves to MLS
After announcing his departure from his long-time club in late May, Marcel Hartel and FC St. Pauli both insisted that the 28-year-old's next destination would be outside of German football. All throughout June, rumored swirled that Hartel was going to be the latest German footballer to join famed footballing administrator Lutz Pfannenstiel at St. Louis SC of America's MLS. The transfer was finally confirmed late Tuesday evening.
Hartel joins keeper Roman Bürki (Dortmund), Cedric Teuchert (Hannover), and Eduard Löwen (Hertha) as players to have made the leap across the pond to follow Pfannenstiel. The Köln-native scored 17 goals and recorded 13 assists in St. Pauli's promotion campaign last year; by far his best as a professional. He departed Hamburg on a free and signed three-year-deal to play in Missouri.
"We are delighted to have concluded this deal and to have been able to bring a top-class midfielder like Marcel to St. Louis," Pfannenstiel noted in a club statement, "His skills as a playmaker and finisher will help us strengthen our attack two-fold."
