Coach Fabian Hürzeler from second division football team FC St. Pauli goes into the DFB Cup game against Bundesliga relegated FC Schalke 04 full of respect.
Fabian Hürzeler, coach of second division leaders FC St. Pauli, has great respect for Schalke 04 under new coach Karel Geraerts. “They will demand everything from us,” said the 30-year-old before the game against Royal Blue in the second round of the DFB Cup on Tuesday (6:00 p.m./Sky).
The change of coach “has changed something in the way Schalke plays,” explained Hürzeler. “They are always capable of scoring goals. They have enormous quality and are difficult to play against.”
Relegated Schalke parted ways with coach Thomas Reis after a weak start to the season. His Belgian successor Geraerts celebrated his first win in the second league game on the sidelines in a 3-2 win over Hannover 96 on Saturday. Nevertheless, the in-form Hamburgers go into the game as favorites.
“We want to get the most out of it and give the fans the chance to progress,” said Hürzeler, who will be able to make full use of personnel on Tuesday. “The cup has a special atmosphere and we are highly motivated to reach round three.”