Despite a passionate race to catch up after the turn of the year, FC Schalke 04 were relegated from the 1st Bundesliga. Knappen legend Olaf Thon draws a mixed conclusion of the season.
In the 2023/2024 season, FC Schalke 04’s league opponents will no longer be Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt, but SV Elversberg, Eintracht Braunschweig and VfL Osnabrück.
A 4-2 defeat at RB Leipzig sealed the relegation of the Royal Blues, who had fought their way to safety in the weeks before.
S04 icon Olaf Thon knows why coach Thomas Reis’ team ultimately failed. “Schalke didn’t fail for me in the second half of the season, but in the first half of the season. Too few points were scored,” emphasized the 57-year-old in an interview with “WAZ”.
The team only stabilized in the new year, the ex-national player added: “It wasn’t always football at its best that Schalke showed, but it was real teamwork.”
With all the praise for the morale shown, one should “not lie to oneself,” Thon demanded: “The bottom line is that Schalke have been relegated.”
Thon warns FC Schalke 04: “The expectations are higher”
In Gelsenkirchen it is now hoped that the guest appearance in the lower house, like in 2021/2022, will not last long. Thon’s demand: “The goal must be to get up as quickly as possible.”
However, the former Eurofighter captain is not yet fully convinced. “We’ll see how it goes at Schalke. You can see how difficult it is at Hamburger SV, who have been trying to get promoted back into the Bundesliga for five years,” warned Thon.
Comparisons to the descent two years ago are inappropriate. “The constellation is completely different now. […] The expectations are higher,” the club idol clarified: “Schalke have to get off the starting blocks well in the new season and establish themselves directly at the top.”