FC Schalke 04

Bundesliga relegation battle: Schalke also has opportunities – sport

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Those who find their purpose in life in quarreling and moaning about everything and everyone, about the post office, the railways and the government, the children of the neighborhood and the fellow citizens par excellence, they are now guaranteed to pull on the relegation battle of the Bundesliga. But they’re a little right, these unpleasant people. What kind of relegation battle is it in which a team wins for the first time on matchday 15 and is allowed to leave the last place in the table and see the saving 15th place within reach?

One could argue about this in a culturally critical way, but the banal truth is that the competition to stay in the league is not suitable for sociology or aesthetic claims. Every year he trains his own phenomena and oddities. The hitherto low level of conflict has produced a profiteer who has not often won himself.

Despite its also rather meager account balance, SV Werder Bremen can (still) imagine itself beyond the imaginary limit to the abyss. Those 15 points that Werder currently has would have promised acute danger in previous years. In 2017/18 you would have been one point ahead of the penultimate – which, by the way, was Werder Bremen.

Schalke’s competitors kindly waited

At that time, 1. FC Köln was last on the 15th matchday, with a ridiculous three points. The FC did not manage to rescue them, but in the second half of the season the Cologne team experienced phases that were like Easter for them – they believed themselves to be before the resurrection. The special game at the end of the table is the source of extreme states of mind. Until the redeeming meeting with Hoffenheim, Schalke 04 found itself in a sporting depression, which in its desolation had at least as endless dimensions as the polar ice desert. With the first victory, this feeling of being lost seems to have suddenly passed and forgotten. Until the next defeat.

For Schalke, the relegation battle has so far been more of an illusion and wishful thinking than reality, they hadn’t even taken part in it with their isolated draw points. They didn’t seem to be able to win a game anymore. They have now exceeded this threshold and entered the competition for ranks 15 and 16. The other teams – Mainz, Cologne, Bielefeld – have kindly been waiting for them.

Now, in a historical comparison, a perhaps less respectable, but all the more bitter race lies ahead, because this time the end will be particularly cruel for the losers – apart from the Arminen, who have been extremely well prepared from the start. The descent in the middle of the recession of the Corona crisis can trigger existential questions for the clubs.

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Schalke 04 – runaway victory instead of negative record: S04 celebrates liberation from the Tasmania ghost

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The American Matthew Hoppe and the ever-fickle Amine Harit saved Schalke 04 from the inglorious Tasmania record. The hope of relegation grows – and is treacherous.

Mesut Özil celebrated his friend Sead Kolasinac as “Maschiiiine” on Twitter, the ex-Schalke Weston McKennie roared fan chants into his smartphone, the President of Tasmania Berlin was overjoyed to have kept the record – but the unreal hero from Gelsenkirchen struck very quiet tones at.

“I don’t know how to feel,” said Matthew Hoppe, who found it uncomfortable after Schalke 04’s 4-0 (1-0) victory over TSG Hoffenheim, even in his native English, a few words the TV camera to say. And so he replied, “I’m just happy.”

But what should the 19-year-old spit in the face of the Cinderella story he had just written: 21 minutes of play were enough for the US boy to go from an embarrassment solution in the attack center of a mocked to pitied Bundesliga team to the third youngest three-packer in the German upper house to rise – and to the man who saved the proud Schalke at the very last opportunity from setting the apparently unattainable record of Tasmania Berlin (31 games in a row without a win).

Hoppe, born in California and brought to Gelsenkirchen as a prospective player a year and a half ago, didn’t exactly score the Regionalliga West short and sweet with a goal in 16 missions during the season. In view of the Schalke personnel misery, he was promoted from the U23 to the professionals – and that paid off. In his only fifth Bundesliga game, he scored ice cold in the 42nd, 57th and 63rd minutes against Oliver Baumann, who was recently appointed to the national team.

Schalke 04: Christian Gross praises Matthew Hoppe: “Incredibly great attitude”

“He will always remember that day in his career,” said coach Christian Gross of the attacker, who displayed “an incredibly great attitude”. In the still difficult mission relegation – after all, Schalke has as table 17. only seven points – but the 66-year-old wants to position himself more broadly: “My wish and that of the whole club is that we continue to strengthen ourselves, especially on the offensive.”

After just two weeks with the Royal Blues, Gross has already registered how fragile the structure is: “A lot went in our favor today. We are still facing incredibly difficult games.”

Against Hoffenheim, Schalke’s defensive wobbled between the 20th minute and Hoppe’s leading goal. A 0: 1, and maybe S04 would have fallen apart, as so often this season. Tasmania record instead of optimism.

In the 31st attempt since the 2-0 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach on January 17, 2020, another Bundesliga victory was due to Hoppe and Ralf Fährmann. “He was our rock,” Gross praised his goalkeeper. Kolasinac was “a leader on and off the pitch,” said Hoppe, who paid tribute to the returnee, who immediately received the captain’s armband from the coach on behalf of the ailing Omar Mascarell and ran up and down the left wing.

In addition to the triple scorer Hoppe, the eternal problem child Amine Harit stood out in particular. The Moroccan, suspended in autumn and pardoned a little later, showed for the first time this season what he thought was lost in a class of its own. The 23-year-old prepared all three Hoppe goals, and he made the final point (80th) himself. “I hope this is the beginning of a long series,” wrote Harit, who played his 100th game for S04 Instagram.

And also with the counted sports director Jochen Schneider was “the relief huge”. Nevertheless, he restricted that “we only won one game at first.” The next win should follow much faster.

Schalke 04: The next games

competition date Time opponent
Bundesliga 17.01. 6 p.m. Eintracht Frankfurt (A)
Bundesliga 20.01. 6.30 p.m. 1. FC Cologne (H)
Bundesliga 24.01. 3:30 p.m. FC Bayern Munich (H)
Bundesliga 30.01. 3:30 p.m. Werder Bremen (A)
DFB-Pokal 02.02. still open VfL Wolfsburg

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Schalke against Hoffenheim: the end of a long nightmare – sport

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Instead of the traditional, melancholy farewell anthem from the royal blue S04, after the final whistle of the game against TSG Hoffenheim, a hit from the blissful flower power era was heard from the stadium boxes in Gelsenkirchen. “California Dreaming” was the dedication to the young man who lit up the Schalke Valley of Tears on Saturday afternoon. One and a half years ago, center forward Matthew Hoppe, imported from California, had scored a single goal in Regionalliga West, now he has added three goals in the Bundesliga and thus contributed significantly to ending the seemingly endless nightmare of the royal blue community.

Schalke’s 4-0 win against TSG 1899 brought about reactions that testified to redemption and liberation. Defender Ozan Kabak sank so solemnly to the ground, as if an unearthly apparition had come over him, other Schalke players greeted the final whistle with primal screams from the depths of their battered footballer souls. The players, depressed by 30 games without a win, did not even have to tremble about the longed-for success – the Hoffenheim team had supported them therapeutically with a disastrous performance. “I know a lot was done for us in the game today, but we will take this win to build on,” said coach Christian Gross.

It hadn’t always looked like this exhilarating experience, the opening goal shortly before the half-time break had surprisingly merged into the course of the game. Hoffenheim was much closer to 1-0 with its dangerous storm series. But in the second half, the bottom of the table amazed his followers with courage, determination, aggressiveness and a playful effectiveness that the team had hidden from their audience for almost a year.

Whoever said Matthew Hoppe had to say Amine Harit on Saturday. The playmaker, who had been far away from his actually extensive possibilities for months, prepared all the attacker’s goals with fine passes and put a crown on his strong performance with the 4-0. This exemplary countered 4: 0 in the 80th minute removed the last remaining skepticism that held the observers concerned prisoner.

Not only the officials in the official gallery cheered, but also a few veteran ex-footballers in Berlin. Tasmania from the capital retains its 55-year negative record, which has been synonymous with advanced failure in the Bundesliga for more than half a generation. The Schalke team meanwhile said goodbye not only to the historical burden but also to their unpopular place in the table, which Mainz 05 takes in their place. The relegation battle in Gelsenkirchen has moved from the stage of painful stagnation to open competition, the 4-0 victory has proven that it is no longer an illusion and wishful thinking, but can be reality.

Goalkeeper Fährmann makes his critics look bad

In addition to four head coaches, Schalke 04 also used three goalkeepers during the first half of the season. Injuries and different evaluations by the different head coaches ensured constant shift changes. Ralf Fährmann is currently in demand again, his experience and not least his origins as a former Schalke player convinced Christian Gross. Some connoisseurs doubted the correctness of this decision, but Fährmann made his critics look bad on Saturday.

Schalke had started well against a strangely passive Hoffenheim, even acquired a certain superiority and created two serious chances through Sead Kolasinac and Matthew Hoppe, but then the visiting team also began to play. The Schalke team promptly made mistakes and fear and horror found their way back into the back team. Ishak Belfodil had twice the 1-0 in the 23rd minute. Ferryman and defender Matija Nastasic successfully stood in the way. The first major opportunity was soon followed by the next. But Andrej Kramaric and Diadie Samassekou also failed because of the flying ferryman. “We had to rely on an absolutely outstanding Ralf Fährmann in the first half,” emphasized Gross.

Despite the preservation of the 0-0, the accumulation of sensitive scenes was not enough to give the Schalke courage, but they somehow caught themselves and stabilized their cover again. The 1-0 result arose from a counterattack, which started with a masterful header from Nastasic. Like the precision pass, the ball fell into Harit’s path. Hoppe finished with a similar skill with a lob over Baumann, who rushed out of the gate, undecided. Even at 0: 2, the goalkeeper did not look happy when he faced the solo runner Hoppe. At 0: 3 it was then defense chief Kevin Vogt, who provided assistance with a drastic bad pass. As I said: The Hoffenheim team were a gracious opponent for Schalke.

The returnees Sead Kolasinac also made a significant contribution to increasing the Schalke level. When he moved from Gelsenkirchen to London three and a half years ago, he was a powerful and robust line player. On Saturday he was not only characterized by his own combative and dynamic demeanor, but also by a clever and adult passing game, which had a visibly positive influence on his fellow men. The right man seems to have come at the right time.

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Bundesliga: Schalke’s gala against Hoffenheim – sport

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FC Schalke 04 – TSG Hoffenheim 4:0 (1:0) Tore: 1: 0 Matthew Hoppe (42nd), 2: 0 Matthew Hoppe (57th), 3: 0 Matthew Hoppe (63rd), 4: 0 Amine Harit (79th)

The Americans now know how things are at Schalke – at least those who found the muse in the on Friday New York Times to browse. There a royal blue crisis painting appeared, which also dealt with Clemens Tönnies. The former club patron is known to be only a prevented patron, what that Times-Author dismissed the observation: “Tönnies, one of the richest Germans, but also one of the most unpopular”.

Schalke and Tönnies, this connection is now finally cut after his withdrawn financial injection (it was probably about ten to twelve million). And that’s how it works sometimes: The team then coped with their trauma on their own. Some gods seem to mean well with the Gelsenkircheners, because they actually managed to avert the setting of the winless record of Tasmania Berlin from the 60s. Three – yes, actually THREE – goals by 19-year-old Californian Matthew Hoppe, all based on Amine Harit (who scored himself), ushered in a 4-0 win against the strangely lavish Hoffenheim team.

“I can assure you that the focus was absolutely only on the game,” said S04 coach Christian Gross. It seems that he has wiped the Tasmania theme, the impending 31st game in a row without a win, out of his head – and released his strength. Definitely with Hoppe, but also with other players. Goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann held flawlessly several times, the team looked committed and with Sead Kolasinac a loaner from Arsenal returned, who immediately proved himself as captain and driver.

The German-Bosnian knows his ex-club from better times and maybe a new, more comforting present will begin with him. An exit from the downward spiral, because the Schalke are dizzy enough already. In any case, Hoffenheim were the right opponent with a total of twelve well-known failures, TSG appeared behind with gross negligence, gave away good chances in a row and provided support for the Schalke team. And so the talk of the Tasmanians’ almost 55 year old disaster record ends. It will probably be a few years before he is in danger again. And Schalke? With seven points now even leaves 18th place to FSV Mainz.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen – Werder Bremen: 1: 1 (0: 0), Tore: 0: 1 Earth (52nd), 1: 1 Schick (70th)

For a long time it went very well for Bayer Leverkusen this season, but Peter Bosz’s team got off to a rather choppy start into the new year. The defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend was now followed by a draw against Werder Bremen. Leverkusen’s ex-professional Ömer Toprak brought the guests into the lead: After a Ludwig Augustinsson free kick, he was pretty free in the penalty area and was able to insert. Leverkusen then at least equaled. Patrick Schicks hit had not initially counted because Lucas Alario should have touched him with his hand when accepting it – but after looking again, referee Benjamin Cortus apparently came to the conclusion that Alario was only on his stomach. Bayer is still third, but missed out on short-term overtaking RB Leipzig.

Mainz 05 – Eintracht Frankfurt 0: 2 (0: 1), Goals: 0: 1 Silva (22nd, foul penalty), 0: 2 Silva (72nd, foul penalty)

Christian Heidel back, Martin Schmidt back – and with Bo Svensson Mainz 05 presented another alumni in a prominent position this week. The former professional is the new coach, the fourth in the season – but his debut didn’t work out, instead it ended with Mainz now even bottom of the table.

The Eintracht lead succeeded after 22 minutes. Amin Younes had discovered a gap and played the ball towards André Silva, but the Mainz defender Moussa Niakhaté held the Portuguese. He fell and got the penalty, which he converted himself. After just under an hour, another penalty whistle sounded after a duel between Frankfurt’s Djibril Sow and Leandro Barreiro from Mainz. Referee Bastian Dankert had apparently considered Sow’s foot to be too high in the duel, but looked at the matter again and made a decision. And a few minutes later: There was another penalty whistle, again against Mainz and Niakathé – this time because he had held Hinteregger. Silva started again and scored his eleventh goal of the season.

SC Freiburg – 1. FC Cologne: 5: 0 (2: 0), Goals: 1-0 Demirovic (18th), 2-0 Höfler (38th), 3-0 Sallai (59th), 4-0 Lienhart (69th), 5-0 Höler (79th)

At the beginning of December the situation for SC Freiburg was still relatively uncomfortable. Christian Streich’s team had played 2-2 against Borussia Mönchengladbach, but the lead on the relegation place was only one point. Since then, this has followed in the league: a win against Bielefeld, a win against Schalke, a win against Hertha BSC, a win against Hoffenheim – and now a win against Cologne. Five wins in a row, the club record for the SC.

Against Cologne, Roland Sallai had only played a high ball behind the defense, the run-out goalkeeper Timo Horn did not hit it properly in front of Ermedin Demirovic and kicked the ball into the air, finally Demirovic headed in for the lead. Later on, Salih Özcan lost the ball to Nicolas Höfler while building up the game. He didn’t have to walk far to score the 2-0 from a central position. After almost an hour, Sallai met himself, Demirovic had served him. And Philipp Lienhart and Lucas Höler made up the goal difference, so that Christian Streich’s team is now eighth. With the sixth win in a row, it should not be easy for Freiburg. Next Sunday’s opponent is FC Bayern.

Union Berlin – VfL Wolfsburg 2: 2 (1: 1), Goals: 0: 1 Steffen (9th), 1: 1 Becker (28th), 2: 1 Andrich (52nd), 2: 2 Weghorst (65th, hand penalty)

Union against Wolfsburg – that doesn’t necessarily sound like a duel between two teams in the European Cup, but that’s exactly what it was: The fifth received the sixth. And this sixth, VfL Wolfsburg, took the lead after a corner: Renato Steffen (1.70 meters) headed Maximilian Arnold’s cross into the goal, opponent Christopher Lenz had not climbed up. Union, however, replied worth seeing: Sheraldo Becker shot the ball powerfully into the corner (after it had missed the empty goal very early).

After the break Union then even led: Maximilian Arnold had touched Taiwo Awoniyi with his hand on the shoulder, whereupon referee Patrick Ittrich initially decided on a penalty and showed Arnold red. The crime scene was then moved out of the penalty area after the video decision, which ultimately was no reason for Wolfsburg to be happy: Robert Andrich lifted the free kick over the wall into the goal. Unions supposed 3: 1 shortly afterwards then after a foul on Koen Casteels did not count – instead VfL soon cheered: A shot from Josip Brekalo landed on the hand of Marcus Ingvartsen. Ittrich decided after another view of the scene on penalty, which Wout Weghorst converted.

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Schalke 04: Kulturkampf am Abgrund – Sport

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Christian Gross was not familiar with the complicated family relationships at FC Schalke 04 when he came to Gelsenkirchen almost two weeks ago, until then he had certainly been living in the Engadin in Switzerland, far away from Gelsenkirchen sensitivities. In the course of this week, however, the 66-year-old coach was able to take an enlightening insight into the very special inner workings of the club, and despite more than forty years of experience in the football business, the culture war in the royal blue backdrops should have at least amazed him: in fact, it is at least unusual In the world of professional sport, when a largely penniless club, whose team is at the bottom of the table after a series of 30 league games without a win, turns down the survival of a financier for primarily emotional reasons.

The former head of the club, Clemens Tönnies, wanted to provide ten or twelve million euros through a sponsorship contract to strengthen the team, but the club did not reach an agreement to accept the emergency aid. Tönnies had tied his offer to a unanimous approval of the eleven members of the supervisory board, but at the end of the debate there was only a vote of 9: 2. The next day, the Westphalian entrepreneur angrily withdrew the offer.

The business itself would undoubtedly have been a particularly good deal, especially in the current precarious situation: The club would have provided consideration for the payment as an advertising medium, but did not have to enter into any burdensome obligation, but as so often when Schalker discussed with each other, left it is less about the actual thing than about emotions, questions of style and taste, ideologies. Tönnies, bitter about his controversial repute after 25 years of functionary work for the association, demanded the unconditional commitment to his gracious farewell gift. On the other hand, the association did not find unity: two of its representatives, who knew about the scope of their negative vote, refused on principle.

The supervisory board discussed very long and very intensively on Wednesday evening, it is said from its midst, in the end the concerns outweighed the two parties concerned. They expressed the conviction that at least part of Tönnies’ club following would no longer accept any money. In what is happening you can see something of the fundamental debate that is generally being carried out in the background of professional football, but the Schalke case remains special: The price of the moral rejection of the Tönnies millions can be very, very high, because for the necessary reinforcements in the relegation battle now the money is missing. The two dutiful supervisory board members took on a lot of responsibility.

Christian Gross knows the club’s financial situation, but on the very first day of his activity he warned that his squad needed reinforcements to cope with the breakneck mission to stay up. The Swiss coach followed the dispute about the possible subsidies from Rheda-Wiedenbrück, if it had been up to him, Schalke would have acted immediately: “If Mr. Tönnies agrees to help the club, of course he would,” he said, raising subtly instructive a little money would be “generally always good” for a football club.

Gross has still not given up hope that the board will find the urgently needed right-back and the equally painfully missing center forward. “Jochen Schneider works day and night on it,” he said, “time is of the essence. I know that, everyone here knows that.” Since there is a lack of financial leeway, club leaders are secretly hoping for the goodwill and creative accommodation of the league competition. Up and down the country and also with the old arch rival Borussia Dortmund, participation in the decline of the Royal Blues, and not only at the DFL in Frankfurt are feared damage to the Bundesliga brand if Schalke 04 disappeared in the second division for an indefinite period of time. The supervisory board has been dealing with the emergency case of relegation for a while. There is confidence that the license to play in the second class would be obtained.

Coach Gross welcomed at least one entry: Kolasinac is back at Schalke

But it’s not that far yet, and at least one prominent newcomer was welcomed to the training session. Sead Kolasinac, 27, started work earlier this week. He will be helping out for six months at the club where he once did an apprenticeship, and he, too, appears as a benefactor in Gelsenkirchen. His return home is a kind of charity act, Arsenal FC waived the loan fee and Kolasinac waived half of the fee that the Londoners guarantee him in the contract, which runs until 2022. If the impression of the first few days is not deceptive, then he will not only be used as a left-back and left-winger at Schalke, but also as a role model, mental coach and tractor. “He can help, he is a personality”, emphasized Gross, “we could still use many players of his caliber and format.”

When Kolasinac makes his comeback against TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday, he will be about to go into a battle of historic importance. The name Tasmania may no longer be heard in Gelsenkirchen, but the league’s negative record, which Schalke could set with another winless game, will still be present on Saturday. “I know that, everyone knows that,” confirms the coach. But maybe this challenge is exactly the right turning point. Gross wants to order the attack on Saturday: “Securing the ball is good – but the point is that we get the ball in front of the opposing goal and win a game.” If necessary, even without a right back and center forward.

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FC Schalke 04: Details of the Tönnies offer revealed

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The former Schalke supervisory board chairman Clemens Tönnies had promised the relegation-threatened club financial resources in order to be able to look for reinforcements on the transfer market in winter. Now Reiner Calmund, long-time companion of Tönnies in the Bundesliga business, has spoken out and given insights into his offer to S04.

In an interview with “Reviersport”, Calmund was surprised that FC Schalke 04 did not accept the injection of funds from Tönnies.

Internal resistance to the support had risen among those responsible for the miners. In a meeting on Wednesday, the supervisory board voted nine to two in favor of the financial injection. However, since the unanimous majority was not achieved, financiers Tönnies withdrew his offer.

Why the Schalke bosses missed this unanimous majority and excluded Tönnies’ offer of help is “unclear” for Calmund. After all, the “two Tönnies brothers, Bernd until his untimely death and then Clemens”, had supported the association “for almost 30 years”.

In addition, the long-time manager of Bayer Leverkusen revealed: “Clemens Tönnies told me in the last few days that a ‘two-line’ from the club management would have been enough to ask for support so that his club could have strengthened itself to two or three positions. “

So far, Schalke 04 has at least been able to bring the loan deal with left-back Sead Kolasinac from Arsenal FC under wraps. It is uncertain whether there will be enough money for further activities on the transfer market.

Calmund sees enough potential for Schalke relegation

Apart from that, it is now “important” for Schalke 04 to get back on track in terms of sport. In the remaining games in the Bundesliga, the team must therefore focus on the “team spirit” and act “without negative background noise”.

Calmund, who describes himself as a “long-time Schalke fan”, has not yet given up hope of relegation. “Of course, the record of 14 Bundesliga games so far this season gnaws at the self-confidence of the players, coaches, managers and many other people involved. But when I analyze the Schalke team, I see more than ten players and also in management Bundesliga- Level.”

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Tönnies and Schalke: Help as a political issue – sport

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Many Schalke players have been watching the career path of the former royal blue Daniel Caligiuri at FC Augsburg for months with sadness. In Gelsenkirchen, the 32-year-old professional was not offered the contract he wanted for financial and sporting reasons. In addition, he was not seen as the type of player who was most urgently missing in the squad and who has not yet been found. In fact, there is no Bundesliga team that is as inadequately staffed on the right side of defense as that of the bottom of the table. Attempts to close the fateful gap in the summer failed: There was no money for the Swiss international Silvan Widmer, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Danny da Costa canceled at the last moment. Instead, 20-year-old Kilian Ludewig came at cost price, who still has a lot to learn and is now no longer even available as an apprentice because he will cure an injury by the end of March.

Now there was an immediate solution to the vacant position: Bayer Leverkusen’s Mitchell Weiser was selected as a candidate for a rental deal, but before the clubs could come to an agreement, Bayer reported a torn muscle in the 26-year-old. Typical Schalke? This is how you can see it in a time when luck seems to keep its distance from the traditional club. A sentence from Clemens Tönnies, which he uttered at one of his last meetings as chairman of the supervisory board, fits this: “If we started trading in coffins, nobody would die anymore.”

Typical Schalke. That would then also be the appropriate title for the presumably last or very last episode of the 25-year liaison between the traditional club and the Westphalian entrepreneur. Clemens Tönnies, who had resigned from his position at the club last summer and claimed to have distanced himself emotionally, had promised the ailing club financial help at the end of the year. It was about an amount of ten to twelve million euros, which could have been used in January to strengthen the team in the relegation battle. A donation to the junior school was also under discussion.

More details had not yet been agreed, the 64-year-old factory owner had just made it clear that he did not want to give a loan that the association would have to repay with interest. There was talk of a trade in sponsorship in order to create liquidity immediately – and to provide remedial action immediately on the transfer market. But on Wednesday evening the club said no to the undoubtedly generous offer, which was intended as a kind of farewell gift.

On closer inspection, however, it was not the association with its 160,000 members who rejected Tönnies support, but a minority in the eleven-person supervisory board. Although nine members had voted for the offer, two members of the committee could not be won over to accept the money. The two men knew what they were doing, because it was clear from the start that Clemens Tönnies had made a unanimous vote in the council a condition. Nothing had changed in this requirement on Thursday. A 9-2 win is not enough for Tönnies.

A descent in the Corona crisis would be fatal for Schalke

On the other hand, the two representatives of the opposing party take on an enormous responsibility: Even the usual relegation to the second division would be bad for a big club like Schalke 04. But a descent in the middle of the Corona crisis, which has been causing a drastic drop in income for months, is more than just a medium-sized catastrophe. If you prefer to forego money in order to strengthen a team that has not won 30 Bundesliga games, then you have to give good reasons. And possibly justify yourself for it at the end of the season.

According to reports, Tönnies had reported back publicly (in an RTL interview) after the Schalke supervisory board had dealt with an “orderly retreat to the second division” during the debate about the last options in the relegation battle. He would not let Schalke down, Tönnies then indicated. Various fan groups heard it with suspicion. They feared a return of the former maker through the back door, even if Tönnies assured that he would no longer seek office at Schalke – and would not want to get involved as an investor, should the club one day open up to external donors. However, the fact that he advertised this opening in the TV interview did not help to calm the skeptics. Tönnies’ feedback was a political issue.

The club does not comment on the no votes

The club has not explained why there were the two no votes on the supervisory board. A request from the SZ went unanswered. Those familiar with the political situation of the association were amazed at the vote. For example, a representative of the committee, who is avowedly critical of Tönnies, voted in favor of accepting his offer of help.

The club still seems to have a certain amount of leeway. For Sead Kolasinac, who is coming back from Arsenal for six months to help out in the relegation battle, Schalke has raised around two million euros from its own reserves. A center forward to replace the long-term injured Goncalo Paciencia is at least as urgently needed as the right-back, who has been missing since the beginning of the season. The search could have been made easier.

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Schalke 04: delicate pact with Tönnies – sport

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If doom threatens, the person who goes under grabs every hand that extends to him. If the water is high above your neck, you usually don’t have the time to use a balanced procedure to check the helper’s seriousness. He grabs, can be saved – and hopes that from now on everything will be different, everything will be better.

But do you really have to let anyone save you at all times? Or can’t you just go down with decency? In the hope of discovering an air bubble underwater that will allow it to reappear in another future.

Schalke 04 is almost exactly faced with this existential question. The acute emergency threatens to let the club go under – and at the same time to tear it apart internally. Because there are those like the Schalke sports director Jochen Schneider who want to take the hand of Clemens Tönnies. And those who would rather drown than grab it again.

On Saturday the old Tasmania Berlin brand is shaking

The skeptics know that in the event of a rescue measure they will not only bring a few fresh millions into the clammy house that the Westphalian meat baron still has. But also the related socio-political debates, which many Schalke believed to have got rid of with the removal of Tönnies from the club’s supervisory board. As a reminder: The resignation took place after a racist derailment in a Tönnies speech at a Paderborn entrepreneurship day. When the working conditions and infection numbers at the family’s own slaughterhouse hit the headlines in Corona summer 2020, Tönnies was officially no longer in the dishes at Schalke.

But now that Schalke clings to every straw, Tönnies does not rule out financial aid for player purchases. Anyone who can be re-signed in the transfer window by February 1 should participate in the attempt to keep the Volksklub with the second most members of the Bundesliga (despite anti-Tönnies withdrawals still around 155,000) in the first division. It is still not a completely hopeless attempt, although Schalke threatens to set the negative record on Saturday: In the home game against Hoffenheim, they are heading for the 31st winless Bundesliga game in a row across all seasons. To the chagrin of today’s Berlin fifth division team Tasmania Berlin, who had hoped to keep this brand from the 1965/66 season forever and exclusively for themselves.

It was only a few months ago that the Schalke team thought their squad was way too good for relegation and attributed their winless series to the evil forces of fate. Now they already have the fourth coach of the season, Christian Gross. After his debut defeat (0: 3 at Hertha BSC Berlin), he loudly demanded what he could have asked more quietly before signing the contract: New players! A razor-sharp analysis – but presented publicly, it not only acts as a vote of no confidence in the overworked staff entrusted to it, but also as an early search for an alibi before Gross really gets going. For the Schalke attacker Mark Uth, who shares the same horn as his coach (“We need players who can help us immediately”), there was even a rebuke from the striker legend Rudi Völler: “… you don’t actually do that” .

Sports director Schneider has now linked his stay with the royal blues to relegation with the personell Gross. As a new start-up aid, it supposedly needs a financial boost from outside, and that can apparently only come through the delicate pact with Tönnies. There is not much left in the Schalke company itself, the liabilities should add up to well over 200 million euros. Without the high premier league television money, this debt burden would act like sinker: if you are relegated, it will pull you down a lot.

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