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Thorsten Legat (right) discusses with Mike Büskens – probably about FC Schalke 04. Photo: firo
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Of the FC Schalke 04 is with an 8-0 debacle FC Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga-Season 2020/2021 started. It was the 17th winless competitive game in a row.
Also Werder Bremen, who only managed to stay in the Bundesliga in the relegation against Heidenheim (0-0, 2-2), got under the wheels on the first match day. The Hanseatic League lost at home to Hertha BSC 1: 4. Both fan camps are worried about their clubs from the start and hope that they won’t have another horror seasons ahead of them.
Thorsten Legat (51), now also known from various reality TV shows, once played in Bremen (7/1991 to 7/1994), but also on Schalke (1/2000 to 7/2001). RevierSport talked to the 243-time Bundesliga player about his ex-clubs and the game on Saturday.
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Thorsten Legat, how did you follow the opening game in the Bundesliga last Friday?
I sat at home in front of the television and was just amazed and equally shocked by what I saw. Those were worlds between Bayern and Schalke. When I see Schalke players smiling after the game and saying that they lost to the world’s best team, I get angry. Man! Schalke did not win 16 times in a row last season and played with the feelings of the fans. You were now obliged to show a different face – especially against Bayern. There you had the chance to show that you have balls and real men in the team. But no: it was just shameful. All of Gelsenkirchen is ashamed of this team. I know a lot of Schalke fans and I know what I’m talking about. And I almost forgot one thing. Clemens Tönnies is sitting in the stands, smiling and playing around on his cell phone. Incomprehensible.
Why?
Why? Because that’s a slap in the face for every Schalke player. This man’s been screwing up lately. Shall I give you some examples? Racism, the working conditions in his company, Schalke’s sporting and economic situation, the discussions about the spin-off of the club. That’s enough. You have to distance yourself from this man as the person responsible for Schalke and not show yourself with him on matchday 1 in Munich. They all sit together happily without masks – as if nothing had ever happened. In my opinion that is not possible at all and has exceeded limits. You have to show a sure instinct and say: ‘Clemens, that doesn’t go well when you see us together in the stands’.
Back to the sporting side: What is this Schalke team missing?
Character! She just has no character. If you fail to win 17 games in a row, that is a character question. At some point in the dressing room you have to say: We’ll win this one time – no matter what the cost. We have to knock over the goat. But that doesn’t happen. You continue to address the mistakes after the games, analyze, train, play again, lose, analyze, train and so on. Character, honor and respect for the people, the fans who finance, love and live the club are really required here.
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Will the team knock over the buck against Bremen on Saturday evening?
I wish it to all Schalke fans. My heart beats for all of my ex-clubs. But somehow I can’t imagine that David Wagner will manage to turn things around again. I don’t know what should suddenly go differently during the week than usual. After all, you’ve already messed up 17 games in a row. At some point you will win again, definitely. Whether on Friday? That is hard to say.
It doesn’t look much better at Werder Bremen, does it?
Werder always sees themselves as a nice family. That sucks now too. Something has to happen and this Werder family has to jolt. Otherwise you can organize the family celebrations in the 2nd Bundesliga next year. This Werder calm really gets on my nerves. It has to rattle there too. I’ve been saying for a long time that you should part with Florian Kohfeldt. This is my opinion.
Schalke and Bremen in the 2nd Bundesliga: is that conceivable for you?
Sure, unfortunately. My ex-clubs Bochum, Stuttgart and Frankfurt were all in the 2nd Bundesliga – or still are, see Bochum. Unfortunately, I see Schalke and Bremen spinning out on the best way there. You may not even be able to imagine it, but it happens suddenly and then there is a lot of howling. The season is still long and we’ll see what happens. But both Schalke and Bremen have to be damned careful and powerful. Otherwise there is a risk of falling into the 2nd Bundesliga. And I think that it would be very tight financially, especially at Schalke.
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