The royal blue radiance has disappeared. Those in charge of the second division soccer team FC Schalke 04, which urgently needs reinforcements especially in defense, had to realize this in this winter transfer phase.
Every beginning is difficult, as the saying goes. However, sometimes the end is difficult – this is what is happening in the current winter transfer period at FC Schalke 04 at. Of course, it was foreseeable that it would not be easy for the club, which had fallen into disrepair both in terms of sport and economy, to attract high-quality and cost-effective reinforcements.
Invoice with S04-Prank candidates hardly opens
But shortly before the end of the transfer window (Thursday, February 1st, 6 p.m.), Schalke’s personnel situation hardly improved. The management team around CFO Christina Rühl-Hamers made it clear at the beginning of January as a condition for additions that management positions and therefore salary positions must first become available.
With goalkeeper Justin Heekeren (on loan to the Belgian 2nd league) and Mainz loanee Niklas Tauer (Braunschweig), only two players were given away who probably received comparatively low salaries. Other players who were reported as candidates for removal by various media at the beginning of January, such as defender Ibrahima Cissé or striker and top earner Sebastian Polter, are still in the squad.
Churlinov’s loan doesn’t help Schalke’s defense
It was a mood booster for Schalke fans Loan from Darko Churlinov (FC Burnley), a promotion hero from 2022. So far he is the only reinforcement. His attacking abilities such as speed, technique and goal threat are undisputed. Churlinov already demonstrated this when he scored the equalizer in Kaiserslautern when he held his own against FCK defender Almamy Touré following a through ball from Kenan Karaman.
The fans’ hopes also rest on this return campaign by the North Macedonian. The truth is that Churlinov’s last competitive game for Burnley was in April 2023. Afterwards, blood poisoning put him out of action for a long time, and Churlinov was in the intensive care unit for a while.
A fit Churlinov is certainly worth a lot in attack – although the loan of the offensive player misses the real core of the problem: defensive performance.
S04 is “every action feels a step too late”
Since the 4-1 defeat at Betzenberg, Schalke has had the weakest defense in the league with 41 goals conceded in 19 games. Even bottom team Osnabrück conceded one less goal. S04 coach Karel Geraerts stabilized the defense at the end of 2023 by switching to a four-man chain – in the victories against direct competitors Osnabrück (4-0) and Rostock (2-0), S04 did not concede a goal.
But in this 4-4-2 system, Schalke were shown their limits in the new year against Hamburg (0:2) and Kaiserslautern. Offensive player Karaman summed it up: “We’re not there in the duels, it feels like every action we take is a step too late.”
Coach Geraerts also gave a poor rating for the defensive performance: “We weren’t ready for this fight. After the 1-1 draw, we had hope for five to ten minutes. Kaiserslautern could then easily score goals. When you play defensively like that, it’s difficult to win.”
And when you play like that defensively, it’s also commonplace to regularly chase after deficits. Schalke rarely cut a good figure. The last time the Ruhrpottklub managed to score after falling behind was in mid-September 2023 (4:3 against Magdeburg).
Right defender-Search becomes a reality check
The S04 management team, including the new sports director Marc Wilmots, of course also recognized the defensive problem. And according to reports, he is at least trying to find an alternative to Cédric Brunner in the right-back position.
However, it is indicative of the diminished charisma of “Royal Blue”: According to media reports, a loan from Koffi Kouao (FC Metz) fell through at the last few meters, even though he is said to have already completed parts of the medical check. Kouao suddenly received a more lucrative offer from Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia for a permanent commitment.
At the beginning of the winter transfer period, Louis Patris, right-back at RSC Anderlecht, publicly canceled a move after rumored S04 interest. Schalke is now apparently starting its third and possibly last serious attempt with Fabien Centonze, who is on the sidelines at FC Nantes. This is what “Le Parisien” and “Sky” report.
Provided negotiations are successful, one thing can already be said: the search for reinforcements has been a tough reality check for Schalke this winter.
