Second division soccer club FC Schalke 04 is looking for a new coach for the coming season. The problem: the Knappen do not yet know in which league they can compete. Nevertheless, the Revierklub may have found a new head coach – in the Bundesliga.
Will Stefan Leitl switch from SpVgg Greuther Fürth to FC Schalke 04 after the current season? At least that’s what a report by “image” vicinity.
Accordingly, Leitl and Fürth will very likely go their separate ways in the summer. This is made possible by a contractual clause: If the cloverleaves are relegated from the Bundesliga, Leitl should be able to leave before the working paper expires in summer 2023 – no matter how the club plans with the coach.
He has been planning his future in the background for the past few weeks, and at FC Schalke 04 he is now on an internal list of candidates.
“Bild” also speculated that the Fürth past of S04 sports director Rouven Schröder and interim coach Mike Büskens could be another indication of Stefan Leitl’s commitment.
Is Hertha BSC also interested in Leitl?
However, Schalke 04 should not be the only club that felt at Leitl. According to the report, Bundesliga club Hertha BSC is also interested. Felix Magath is currently on the sidelines for the Berliners – but, like Büskens, only until the end of the season.
Stefan Leitl started coaching at FC Ingolstadt in 2013, where he had previously worked as a player for six years. He stayed with the FCI until 2018 before the midfielder, who was trained at FC Bayern, switched to Greuther Fürth. With the Franks, he managed to get promoted to the top flight in the 2020/21 season.
After 28 match days, however, it looks more and more like it will only last one year in the Bundesliga. The gap to 16th place is ten points. Should Leitl actually switch to S04 in the summer, he could possibly still be on the sidelines in Germany’s top division: Under Mike Büskens, the Royal Blues reduced the gap to first place in the table to two points. S04 is currently in fourth place.