The Dane Jess Thorup will be the new coach at Bundesliga club FC Augsburg. As the Swabians announced on Sunday evening, the 53-year-old will receive a contract until June 30, 2025.
He will be the successor to Enrico Maaßen, from whom FCA separated on October 9th. Thorup has been without a club for more than a year – he had previously led FC Copenhagen to the championship title and the Champions League.
“We are pleased that in Jess we were able to attract a football expert and person to the FCA who has been a head coach at the highest level for many years and has a lot of experience at national and international level,” said sports director Marinko Jurendic. “Jess has proven in his previous positions that he can both develop players and lead teams to success.”
The Augsburg team presented a new coach in time for the international break who can prepare the team for the next game on October 22nd at 1. FC Heidenheim. Thorup, who was an active footballer at KFC Uerdingen in Germany, has to do a lot of building work for the young team after only two wins in the last 19 competitive games. Until his signing, the team was temporarily looked after by U23 coach Tobias Strobl.
After the unsuccessful project with the 39-year-old Maaßen, the FCA is now relying on more experience. “I had very constructive and goal-oriented discussions with the people responsible in which I immediately felt that FCA was the right next step for me,” the new coach was quoted as saying. Before FC Copenhagen, the Dane coached his country’s U21 and U21 teams, FC Midtjylland, KAA Gent and KRC Genk, among others. With Midtjylland he also became champions in Denmark in 2018.
“We are convinced that in him we have found an experienced and renowned coach who can stabilize our team in the short term and with whom we will be successful together,” said Augsburg managing director Michael Ströll.
FCA was 15th in the table after a 1-2 defeat against Darmstadt 98. went into the international break. The team seriously lacked balance between offense and defense in this disappointing season, but what was particularly glaring was the 17 goals they had conceded in seven league games this season. Mainz, Bochum and Darmstadt conceded even more with 19 each.
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After the debut in the away game against newly promoted Heidenheim on Sunday, October 22nd (5.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on DAZN), Thorup can get his team in the mood for their first home game. On October 28th, FC Augsburg will host VfL Wolfsburg.
