First a new coach, now the new CEO. FC Schalke 04 has set another important course in personnel planning.
The Royal Blues announced on Tuesday that Matthias Tillmann will be the new chairman and spokesman for the board on January 1, 2024.
“We are very pleased that we were able to recruit Matthias Tillmann for FC Schalke 04. This was part of a search process that we completed quickly with external support and with a very good result for Schalke 04,” said Supervisory Board Chairman Axel Hefer.
According to Hefer, the five main criteria in the search were: “Leadership experience in large, modern companies, strong communication skills, experience in sports sponsorship, a connection to football and our club as well as leadership and implementation skills.”
The 39-year-old most recently worked at Trivago as head of finance – Hefer was also previously employed by the company. Tilmann is considered a confidant of the chairman of the supervisory board.
New Schalke boss: agenda for 90 days
“FC Schalke 04 is in a very challenging time in which key decisions – both sporting and economic – have to be made and made. That’s why I have set myself an agenda for the first 90 days,” said Tillmann.
“Sport is our core business, where we have to make important decisions and also question existing things. I’m really looking forward to the analysis and impulses from our new head coach Karel Geraerts. It’s clear that after a phase of stabilization, we’re looking forward “We have to go forward in order to lead Schalke 04 back into the Bundesliga in the medium term. Because that remains our goal.”
The position of CEO had been vacant since Bernd Schröder left the company in August.
On Monday, the Knappen had already introduced Karel Geraerts as Schalke’s new head coach. The club is in deep crisis after the false start in the 2nd Bundesliga and is currently in the relegation zone.