President Rudolf Edlinger stated: "We have purposefully taken our time with this appointment in order to get the right man in this key position. We have spoken with 12 candidates in the past weeks and decided to appoint Helmut Schulte. He brings with him a wealth of experience and a reputation that extends over our domestic borders. I'm convinced that we have made the correct appointment, and would like to simultaneously thank all the other candidates for their interest in the post."Helmut Schulte (born 14/09/1957) played for German clubs Fortuna Cologne and FC St. Pauli. He made his first foray into management with the Cult-Club from Hamburg, sitting in the hot seat between 1987 and 1991, guiding the club through four seasons in Germany's top flight. Schulte also had spells as manager at Dynamo Dresden and Schalke 04 before moving "upstairs" into positions within the managerial hierarchy. Helmut's first appointment in this capacity was at VfB Lübeck, before he returned to FC St. Pauli in 1996 for a two year stint. He also spent just under a decade at Schalke 04 looking after youth development and the clubs scouting networks. In March 2008 he returned to St. Pauli and worked as Sporting Director until May 2012.His first statement following his appointment: "I'm delighted with my new task and look forward to the challenges that lie ahead with SK Rapid, a club whose name is also very well known in my own country."(gw)