He once trained Boniface
Geraerts creates S04 vision of human toilers
October 9, 2023, 8:35 p.m
Not a classic savior with experience, but a young coach with vision should lead FC Schalke 04 out of the crisis. He has already caused a sensation internationally. Karel Geraerts has humanity in his luggage at Schalke and of course wants to be punished hard. As it should be in a pot.
Schalke’s new head coach Karel Geraerts has already given his children blue and white jerseys. With identification for the traditional club, fresh ideas and a lot of energy, the 41-year-old wants to lead the relegated Bundesliga team out of the crisis. “I want people who work hard. And I want to see people who laugh,” said the father of five. At his official introduction, the former Belgian international presented himself confidently, openly and radiated a lot of confidence.
“We’re starting from scratch,” he said. When it comes to working with his team, that’s true. In terms of the table, however, the 41-year-old is approaching his new task with a large mortgage.
Instead of playing for promotion, Schalke is in the relegation zone in the 2nd Bundesliga. The fact that the Gelsenkirchen team is relying on a coach in this tricky situation who doesn’t know the league and for whom Schalke is only his second stop as a professional coach is an exciting but also courageous decision. Geraerts also speaks little German.
Geraerts developed Bundesliga sensation Boniface
“In the end it’s about content and conviction,” said sports director André Hechelmann. “And he will convey this to the team in the language in which he currently feels most comfortable.” In his first public appearance as S04 coach, Geraerts answered the questions in English. He smiled a lot and repeatedly emphasized what was important to him.
He’s not a grinder. “We are not robots, we are people. That is very important to me,” he said. “I’m very human.” Geraerts wants to talk to his players a lot. Individual support plays a big role for him.
Victor Boniface is currently showing how this can work in the best case scenario. The 22-year-old trained under Geraerts at Union Saint-Gilloise. The Belgian club caused a sensation in the Europa League last season, only failing in the quarter-finals against Bayer Leverkusen. Boniface now plays for the Rhinelanders and has scored seven goals in seven Bundesliga games.
The Belgian sees things that hardly anyone else sees
Geraerts doesn’t have such gifted footballers at Schalke. However, he says he is still convinced by the team. Looking at the 1:2 against Hertha BSC on Sunday, which Geraerts watched live in the stadium with his family, he said: “After ten or 15 minutes I said to my wife: ‘I see great potential in this team.'” He shrugged off questions about possible winter newcomers.
Geraerts had already introduced himself to his players in the morning. “I already told them in the dressing room: ‘I want to bring a winning mentality into the team.'” S04 didn’t have that recently and lost three games in a row. Geraerts, who has signed a contract with Schalke until June 30, 2025, wants to bring back success with “well-structured football from the back.” “For me, football is about intensity, whether with or without the ball,” he said.
The first conversation with Hechelmann and sports director Peter Knäbel, which lasted five to six hours, convinced him about S04 – and that he would be allowed to work longer at the Revierklub than his predecessors, such as Thomas Reis. Two things made him optimistic in this regard: “When I spoke to Peter and André, I realized: We speak the same language about football,” said Geraerts and added: “And I am very convinced of my philosophy.” From this Wednesday onwards he wants to introduce this to his team in training. Geraerts will play his first competitive game with Schalke on October 22nd against Karlsruher SC.