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Marcel Hartel St. Louis Getty
Tom Hindle

‘We have to do better’ - Marcel Hartel on turning the page on St. Louis CITY’s struggles and ushering in a new era under Yoann Damet

The German playmaker has done his part for St. Louis, but hopes that a new head coach and solid preseason will help the MLS strugglers turn their fortunes around.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla - Marcel Hartel is settled at this point. The German has been in St. Louis for 18 months, and for all of the criticism of St. Louis CITY SC, the former St. Pauli midfielder has certainly provided for the Missouri-based club. Most importantly, for him at least, he likes it here.

"I feel good. My family is feeling pretty well. So we landed here, and everybody was helping me and also when my family was arriving in St Louis. So we have a very helpful community," he tells GOAL at MLS's Media Tour.

That much is clear. Watch Hartel walk around, St. Louis badge on his chest, and he looks like a player happy where he is. The problem? His team isn't quite firing. After topping the Western Conference in their inaugural season, St. Louis have rather struggled. Last year, they were among the worst teams in MLS, and spent a majority of the season with an interim manager in charge. 

Hartel expects better. 

"Of course, we have to do better," he says. 

But this is a new year. St. Louis have made a good hire, bringing in Yoann Damet, one of Wilfried Nancy's top assistants at the Columbus Crew. He is an MLS vet and a sound tactical mind. That could be the lift the club needs.

"I was happy, because I was hoping that he could bring a bit of style from Columbus, how they play. They were amazing for a couple of years now," Hartel says.

Preseason has only just begun. There could yet be some more moves in the transfer market, while time on the grass will see Damet's plans crystallize a little more. For Hartel, a new season brings a new opportunity. And that can only be a good thing. 

Sabbi joined GOAL Convo, a weekly Q&A with central figures in North American soccer, to talk life in St. Louis, 2026 expectations, and toasted ravioli. 

NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity. 

  • Marcel Hartel St. Louis Getty

    ON SETTLING IN ST. LOUIS

    GOAL: You've been here for 18 months now. How's St. Louis? How have you settled?

    HARTEL: I feel good. My family is feeling pretty well. So we landed here, and everybody was helping me, and also when my family arrived in St Louis. So we have a very helpful community. And so I feel happy. Of course, the success is not as good as we were expecting. But for me, personally, privately, everything worked well. We have a good area to live as a family, especially, and a lot of stuff to do. And the club is amazing. We have a great facility. The fans are amazing. We have a great stadium. But now we just need the success in St Louis, and everything will be perfect.

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  • Marcel Hartel St. Louis Getty

    ON THE QUALITY OF MLS

    GOAL: And what about the quality of MLS? Has the league been more difficult than you expected?

    HARTEL: Honestly, I was expecting lower quality. Because in Europe, they say the league is not that good. But I have to say, when I arrived the first day, I had the feeling 'wow, the quality is so good.'  Everybody in Europe is thinking wrong about MLS.

    GOAL: What's harder than you expected? The speed of play? The individual quality?

    HARTEL: It's the individual quality, by far. The individual players, especially with the ball. Every team has its own quality play. The game is much quicker. Of course, in the summer, you have to look at how the weather is where you play, so that you can see, okay, maybe at the 75-80 minutes, the game is a bit slower. Maybe that's why they talk about the game and say MLS is so slow. If they play here, and they have to deal with the weather, with the humanity here, it's much, much harder than you think.

    GOAL: The weather is a complaint that comes up a lot. How have you found the heat and the travel?

    HARTEL: The heat at first, especially in St. Louis, you're sweating immediately, it's tough. But so now for the 18 months I'm here, you get a bit used to it more. The hardest part is the away games. From St Louis, we have to travel to California, four hours flight, or to Vancouver, five and a half hours flight with time difference, two hours. You can feel the away games in your body. 

  • Lutz Pfannenstiel, St. Louis CITY SCImagn

    ON WHAT ATTRACTED HIM TO THE LEAGUE

    GOAL: Before you came to the league, who did you talk to? Did you have people who encouraged you to make the move? 

    HARTEL: Well, at St. Louis, I had Eduardo Lowen, Cedric Techert. We had a German sports director, Lutz Pfannenstiel. I had a lot of good communication to the guys that already been here in St Louis. And they made it easy. That told me only good things about the club, about the city.

    GOAL: What was their pitch? What was the selling point?

    HARTEL: The stadium and the facility. The most important is the club, and also that my family feels well. So I visited the city of St Louis before I signed the contract, and I had a good feeling. I saw a lot of neighborhoods where I can live with my family, and I had a good feeling.

    GOAL: Have you had any toasted ravioli yet? 

    HARTEL: Yes of course! 

    GOAL: And is it actually good, or is that just propaganda?

    HARTEL: It's very good.

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  • Yoann Damet FC Cincinnati Getty

    ON THE NEW HEAD COACH

    GOAL: You've got a new coach this season, Yoann Damet. How's it been so far? Have you talked to him? What's been going on there?

    HARTEL: I had two or three conversations with him already. It was a very good conversation. Also with [sporting director] Corey Wray. All of us are very excited now for the new season. The team is excited for the new season, and now we need a good preseason with a new coach. You understand the structure, how you want to play with the ball, against the ball, and of course, we have to do better than last year.

    GOAL: What did you know about the new coach before he came in?

    HARTEL: I knew that he was coming from the Columbus Crew. So I was happy, because I was hoping that he could bring a bit of style from Columbus, how they play. They were amazing for a couple of years now. So I was hoping that he's bringing in something from the Columbus side, from his playing style.

  • Marcel Hartel St. Louis City SCUSA Today Images

    ON HIS EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS SEASON

    GOAL: To finish it off, what are your expectations for this year? What would a good season look like?

    HARTEL: For us, as a club, it would be a good season if we go to the playoffs. And then we will see how we go from there. 

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