More fight is hardly possible. In the meantime, Schalke has caught up a 2-0 deficit in Leipzig – and is still empty-handed. The district club descends.
Almost motionless, disappointed and dejected, Schalke stood in front of their fans – and were loudly celebrated in these bitter minutes of direct relegation.
“I can’t blame my team,” said the visibly dejected coach Thomas Reis. “The way we came back, the mentality, with the belief that we might still achieve the impossible – I saw that.” And yet it wasn’t enough.
Fifth descent
The 2: 4 (1: 2) on Saturday at the cup finalist RB Leipzig sealed the fifth relegation of the Royal Blues from the Bundesliga. “A strange feeling, we get off and are celebrated in front of the fans,” said Schalke idol Gerald Asamoah. Reis justified the mood with the “hard worker qualities” of his players and spoke of the “Champions League level” among the fans. Tears flowed in the players’ TV interviews.
Despite being behind early on after goals from Konrad Laimer (10th minute) and Christopher Nkunku (19th), the guests showed strength and courage, they caught up through Marcin Kaminski (28th) and Willi Orban’s own goal (49th). But substitute Yussuf Poulsen (82nd) and Nkunku again (90th + 4) dashed all hopes.
“The relegation wasn’t sealed today, now we have to lick wounds and come out stronger,” said Reis. After a completely screwed up first half of the season, in which Schalke was already a distant bottom of the table, the coach, who has been in office since the end of October 2022, brought back the hope of staying up in the league in the first place. “What we ripped off in the second half of the season was phenomenal. We wanted to reward ourselves again today,” said Danny Latza. He feels pure frustration.
Sports director “extremely proud”
Sports director Peter Knäbel was “extremely proud” of the players and fans. “I will thank a lot of people who worked in the dressing room, who represented the club on the pitch,” he said.
Relegation, said Knäbel, would have been “Variant A”. “But in variant B we already have a team from the contract portfolio that is absolutely impressive. We will try to further optimize it.” But first, “calm has to come in”. It must be allowed to mourn. “I can’t just go straight to the agenda. But then I have to shake myself and look constructively ahead,” said the sports director.
Leipzig coach Marco Rose praised the guests and Reis, who had once been his bench neighbor in the coaching course, in the highest tones. “I wish Reisi and Schalke all the best for their return, Schalke belong in the Bundesliga. They played an unbelievable second half of the season, did a great job. But it was clear that we wouldn’t give gifts.”
Source: Stern
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