After the 3-4 defeat against relegation candidate Hansa Rostock, FC Schalke 04 pulled the ripcord and put coach Dimitrios Grammozis on leave. However, there have been doubts about him for a long time. Supposedly, the S04 bosses spoke to another coach during the winter break.
Already eight defeats in 25 games, six points behind relegation place three: Promotion is a long way off for FC Schalke 04 before the end of the season in the 2nd Bundesliga.
So it’s no wonder that coach Dimitrios Grammozis had to resign. Club icon Mike Büskens is now supposed to pull the coals out of the fire as an interim solution in the post of head coach.
FC Schalke 04: Leading players faced off against Dimitrios Grammozis
As “Sport Bild” reveals, doubts about Grammozis had increased internally over the course of the season. The 43-year-old lost the team long ago – also because veterans like captain Danny Latza, striker Simon Terodde or midfielder Dominick Drexler expressed problems with Grammozis’ style of play.
Many of the younger players would have stood by Grammozis for a long time. But he also scared them off with a cabin sermon after the 1: 2 at Fortuna Düsseldorf, according to the report.
In the week before the game against Hansa, which ultimately became a game of fate for Grammozis, sports director Rouven Schröder is said to have met the ex-coach and some leading players for a discussion.
Did FC Schalke 04 talk to another coach?
It is said that Grammozis wanted to get the professionals on his side again with the conversation. The fact that this plan failed thoroughly illustrated the sometimes frightening performance against Table 15. a short time later.
But even the Schalke management level was no longer convinced of Grammozis. According to “Sport Bild”, Schröder contacted coach Thomas Letsch from Vitesse Arnhem in winter. However, the 53-year-old was not released.
The name Friedhelm Funkel, which was traded again after Grammozis-Aus, was also an issue at Schalke at the time.