Lots of new things in familiar surroundings: How Schalke 04 wants to re-establish itself in the Bundesliga

Schalke 04 are suddenly familiar with championships. Last May there was the rim for first place in league two, now the summer break is back on course for the title – at least if you want to award a trophy to the shopping master. Sports director Rouven Schröder & Co. have already signed eleven new players in the past few weeks, and three previously loaned professionals have also been signed. No other Bundesliga club can keep up with that. After a year in the second division, the motto of the Gelsenkircheners is: Lots of new things in well-known surroundings.

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For 30 years you had been part of the inventory in the Bundesliga, showed yourself in the Champions League and at times even sniffed the bowl. After a season that was disastrous in every respect, things went down a league in the summer of 2021. Schalke ironed out this industrial accident as only Schalke can. With ups and downs, a change of coach on the home straight of the season and always emotional, you maneuvered your way through the lower house, only to greet from the top in the end. No more 2nd league so?

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Well, at the moment the S04 of the present doesn’t have much in common with the S04 from such a glorious era, despite the success of the past season. The big purchase of the summer makes it clear that those responsible did not attest the necessary quality in all parts of last year’s second division squad for the challenges one class higher. However, the funds for the general overhaul of the squad were once again low due to the club’s immense debt. So far, Schröder has invested a total of eight million euros in the colorful mix of new staff – about a tenth of what FC Bayern alone paid for Matthijs de Ligt.

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If you take this into account, the manager’s work is quite impressive: the heroes of promotion Rodrigo Zalazar and Thomas Ouwejan are now finally real Schalke after their loans. There are also talents like Tom Krauss and Leo Greiml. Some of the more notable signings include goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, Czech international Alex Kral, new defender Maya Yoshida and Sebastian Polter. The latter should form a storm duo with the similarly built Simon Terodde or duel with the Schalke hopefuls for operating times.

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At the age of 34, Terodde is making another attempt in the Bundesliga and wants to finally prove that he can score goals at the top level as well as one class below. Terodde is the top scorer of all time there with 172 goals. A league higher it never worked so well. His record: 58 Bundesliga games, ten goals. Meanwhile, Frank Kramer is supposed to get the best out of Terodde and his colleagues. The coach is also new at Schalke and succeeds Mike Büskens, who looked after the team on an interim basis in the final spurt of the past season.

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“When the new coach was selected, a close look was taken to see who would suit Schalke. Big names don’t immediately promise success,” said Schalke icon Youri Mulder last in SPORTBUZZER interview and looked ahead to the season: “The main goal will be to stay up. Anything else would be presumptuous. We have to confirm promotion with good performances in the Bundesliga – and that’s always difficult. Now it depends, still to work more meticulously.”