Gelsenkirchen (dpa) – eleven championships, eleven cup wins – and a lot of tradition. In the most renowned lower house of football in recent years, a showdown with considerable radiance is imminent.
The duel between the former Champions League permanent guests FC Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen on Saturday (1.30 p.m. / Sky) overshadows many a Bundesliga game. For the first time since mid-January 2020, the Revierclub arena is sold out with 62,271 fans. The newly ignited royal blue euphoria made even a veteran like Mike Büskens go into raptures: “It’s fantastic. It’s nice to see how united this club is in the current phase.”
Top duel in the promotion race of the 2nd league
Just in time for the season finale, Schalke have maneuvered themselves into a brilliant starting position after previously rather poor second division months. With a win against the pursuer Bremen, who is only two points behind, the lead in the table could be consolidated. “It’s electrifying for everyone. Every footballer wants a highlight like this,” said sporting director Rouven Schröder before the showdown between the two Bundesliga teams who were relegated. Büskens also felt the thrill: “Both teams have a dream – and they want to live it.”
The recent upward trend fuels the desire of many Schalke fans to make Büsken’s interim coach a permanent solution. After all, since the Grammozis successor took office at the beginning of March, five wins in five games have been achieved. But according to Schröder, that’s not an option even in the event of promotion: “There was a clear agreement, no matter how the whole thing turns out. It’s clear that Mike Büskens will continue in the summer. But not as head coach.”
Bremen also had similarly positive experiences with a change of coach. When Ole Werner took over for Markus Anfang at the end of November, Werder were apparently trailing behind in tenth place. With seven wins in his first seven games, Werner led his team back to the promotion region. The fact that they only managed to win once in the past five games cannot dampen Werner’s anticipation of an “incredibly great football game”.
Werner is looking forward to the game against Schalke 04
Despite major personal worries in the back – captain Ömer Toprak and Serbian international Milos Veljkovic are both injured – the football coach is relaxed about the match. “It doesn’t give me a headache.”
That’s exactly why the 33-year-old is doing Bremen so well after the vaccination scandal of his predecessor Markus Beginning: Because he always keeps calm – no matter what happens. Büsken’s task, on the other hand, was more to emotionally recharge Schalke after weeks of stagnation under Dimitrios Grammozis. That also worked convincingly.
According to the former Bundesliga defender Naldo, who played for Werder for seven years and Schalke for two and a half years, the dream of rapid promotion could come true for both clubs. “It’s not just my wish, I really see a great possibility that both will make a direct return to the Bundesliga. It looks great for the royal blue and green-white,” said the 39-year-old to “Bild”.