Tom Gaal was one of the top performers for SSV Ulm 1846 Fußball last season. After the defender passed on a contract offer from the second division relegation team, FC St. Gallen has signed him.
It was no secret that SSV Ulm 1846 Fußball would have liked to start the upcoming 3rd league season with Tom Gaal. With 21 appearances and four goal contributions, the center back was a regular in the Spatzen lineup at the end of the season. Managing director Markus Thiele was therefore interested in extending his expiring contract. However, after Thiele felt that Gaal was “just stalling” despite “everything being agreed,” he withdrew the contract offer. The 24-year-old is now moving to Switzerland.
As FC St. Gallen announced on Wednesday, Gaal will join the team that finished seventh in the table last season and has signed a contract until summer 2027. At the club in eastern Switzerland, Gaal will be reunited with former Bundesliga coach Enrico Maaßen, who has been on the sidelines at Kybunpark since July 2024.
Roger Stilz, sporting director at Espen, was delighted with the new signing, who brings “strength in one-on-one situations” and “clean technique” to the team. He emphasized that Gaal has even more potential: “We are convinced that we can develop him further and are delighted that we were able to convince him to join our club.”
Part of the championship team
Gaal, who was largely trained in the youth ranks of Borussia Mönchengladbach, moved to Ulm for the 2023/24 season after two seasons in the Foals’ U23 team. With the then third-division club, the defender celebrated the third-division championship and the associated promotion as a regular player (31 appearances, five goals).
In the past season, a broken nose and an ankle injury slowed the defender down. He was otherwise a regular member of coach Robert Lechleiter’s squad. After the end of the season, there was a rift between the club and the player, resulting in the 24-year-old’s contract expiring.
Lukas Mazagg has been signed to fill the gap in the central defense in the cathedral city. The center back is moving from regional league champions TSG Hoffenheim II to the Swabians and has signed a contract until 2027.