After the Bundesliga return
©IMAGO
After the successful return to the Bundesliga, FC Schalke 04 has hope of a continuation with old master Edin Dzeko. However, those responsible at the Knappen will not put any time pressure on the 40-year-old center forward. “I think Edin also realizes, of course, what he can give to the team and the club – but also what the club can give him. He made a very conscious decision: that he wants to play, that he wants to experience something positive and that he can end the season with such a highlight,” said sports director Frank Baumann in the football debate “Sky90”.
Dzeko, Bundesliga top scorer and German champion in 2009, moved from AC Florence to Gelsenkirchen for free last winter. Before his injury break, the Bosnian contributed six goals and three assists in nine games to promotion. His contract expires after this season. Everything seems conceivable, from an extension to the end of his career. “Of course he also has a World Cup coming up and he’s not the youngest anymore, but we’ve agreed that we’ll get together after the season. But there won’t be a deadline from our side. Because of the World Cup, he won’t be on the pitch on the first day of training anyway and that’s why we have time,” explained Baumann.
The manager continued: “It’s important that he makes the decision again out of conviction, just like he did in the winter. He rejected significantly better offers, from Paris for example, and decided to play in Gelsenkirchen for little money – that apparently also has its appeal.” Baumann had said something similar to “Welt TV” shortly beforehand: “It’s also possible that Edin will go to the World Cup first and then we’ll sit down together and make a final decision. That’s still completely open.”
The former Werder sports director also named the next tasks that are now on his agenda: “The challenges will certainly become even greater in the Bundesliga. But we are optimistic that we can put together a competitive squad. The goal is to stabilize ourselves sustainably in the Bundesliga. We will do everything we can to achieve that. With a lot of passion and great unity. If you don’t win two or three games, it will be seen whether you really show this unity. We will from the first Give everything every day and be confident, courageous and give it your all with our style of football.”
With the current squad value of 45.23 million euros, Schalke would be in last place in the upper house. The valuable player is attacker Moussa Sylla (26) with a market value of 5 million euros.
