Unity after turbulent days
Schalke makes a pact and tries to keep the chaos out
April 14, 2024, 12:28 p.m
A victory that means so much more than just three points: FC Schalke is feeling lucky after their win against Nuremberg. Because everyone plays for them, because they accept the relegation battle – as a unit. This is good news for the club.
After the vital victory in the relegation battle after turbulent days, players and coaches at Schalke 04 formed a wagon castle. “We stick together. The team has character, it is intact,” claimed winning goal scorer Kenan Karaman after the redemptive 2-0 (1-0) against 1. FC Nürnberg. And the ailing coach Karel Geraerts said: “It’s a pact. I don’t see that the team is divided.”
All the fuss about the banishment of veteran Dominick Drexler to the regional league team after the chocolate shake throw in the dressing room and the special bonus for three games only came from outside. “If others want to cause problems, that’s not my problem,” said Geraerts, who had angered some players with his decision. The Belgian demonstratively filled up all the trenches: “Today’s performance says it all, the team stands together.”
Karaman, who helped the Royal Blues win for the seventh time with his tenth goal of the season shortly before half-time, also resisted the impression of a mixed-up, divided team. “It’s obviously not nice to have to read again and again that the dressing room is divided,” said the Turkish international, who ran to the substitutes’ bench to celebrate after his goal: “I wanted to send a signal that the team sticks together.”
“Perfect for us”
Sports director Marc Wilmots followed this strategy and supported Geraerts, who had come under massive criticism. “For two months I’ve been hearing every time: Geraerts out!” said the former Eurofighter on Sport1, “he’s doing a very good job. How can it be that the team doesn’t support the coach? I don’t understand that.”
His Belgian compatriot, on the other hand, understands better and better what he was warned about. “When I came, everyone said: Schalke, it’s not easy,” reported Geraerts and speculated about next week: “Maybe something else will happen again, I don’t know.”
At least he can breathe a little, the gap to the relegation zone has increased. With 35 points five rounds before the end, staying in the league – and thus economic survival – is realistic again. Because the competition played along: 1. FC Kaiserslautern was knocked out in stoppage time in the 1-2 defeat at SpVgg Greuther Fürth, and the supposed savior Friedhelm Funkel is also “worried”, but “not afraid” about the second-to-last team in the table.
Bottom team VfL Osnabrück is already relegated after losing 4-0 at Holstein Kiel. And Hansa Rostock (0:4 at Hertha BSC) and SV Wehen Wiesbaden (0:2 against Fortuna Düsseldorf) also lost. “The results were perfect for us,” said Karaman.