After 20 Bundesliga matchdays, FC Schalke once again have their backs to the wall. 18th place is currently in the book, the gap to the saving 15th place is already seven points. S04 supervisory board boss Axel Hefer still firmly believes that the decisive turnaround can still be achieved.
“I’m confident that we’ll stay up, but we’ll need a bit of luck,” said the 45-year-old in an interview with the “Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung”. For a year and a half he has headed the supervisory board of FC Schalke 04, the highest and most important body in the club.
Last but not least, the Royal Blues’ supervisory board also decides on the appointment of people in operational positions. For example, about Peter Knäbel, who was recently criticized in his function as sports director at FC Schalke.
The ex-professional had to put up with allegations of a failed transfer policy after several flop transfers from the summer of 2022 with Florent Mollet and Jordan Larsson were given up again during the recent winter break.
Hefer: “We’ve developed quite a number of players well”
At the moment, the boss of the supervisory board, Hefer, did not want to guarantee that the S04 sports director would be allowed to stay in office beyond the summer: “With Peter (Knäbel, editor’s note) it’s the same as with all board members: we’ll see how good that is implemented, what was discussed with the supervisory board, how satisfied we are. And then we decide on further cooperation.”
A job guarantee sounds different. Knäbel’s working paper at Schalke actually runs until 2024.
Hefer clarified what will be most important in the assessment of the sports director: “On the sporting side, the essential thing is that we promote our own players, make them better and systematically create value. […] We have developed quite a number of players well over the past two years,” he emphasized, in addition to the professional department, and above all the Schalke youth academy “Knappenschmiede”.