Schalke: returnee Ralf Fährmann experiences “the luck of the fit”

Return to the Schalke goal

A few weeks ago it was considered extremely unlikely that Ralf Fährmann would return as number one in goal at FC Schalke 04. And yet the 34-year-old somehow expected his comeback between the posts of the Royal Blues – at least a little. “I’ve been in the business for a while and also at Schalke. So I know how fast it can go. My motto is: If you train hard, you will eventually have the luck of the fit,” explained Fährmann in an interview with the “Picture”.

The veteran became a professional with the “Knappen” and was unchallenged for years, playing a total of 222 Bundesliga games for S04 and Eintracht Frankfurt – 65 of them with zero. After being loaned out to Norwich City and SK Brann, he returned to Schalke in the summer of 2020. In S04’s Bundesliga history, only Norbert Nigbur has made more appearances. Before the season, the Herthas club, which was in acute danger of relegation, had loaned Alexander Schwolow (30), but he did not know how to convince in the long term and lost his place to Fährmann – the signs point to a separation in the summer.

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“He’s a first-class goalkeeper who deserves to play in the Bundesliga. I try to support him as best as I can. We are a goalkeeper team,” affirmed Fährmann, who has a contract until 2025 and “wants to play as long as possible”. Despite only 13 points after 21 league games and six points behind the saving bank, he still thinks that staying up is still possible. “Clear. Of course the task is difficult, but our development is right. We are very self-confident for eighteenth place in the table and have found a recipe. The current series and our fans push us. They give us a lot of strength, because they reward the fact that we put our hearts on the pitch,” emphasized the goalkeeper.

Schalke played 0-0 with the ferryman four times – coach Reis gives hope

Most recently, Schalke had played 0-0 for the fourth time in a row and thus set several records. The last bottom of the table after 21 match days that managed to save the Bundesliga was VfB Stuttgart in 2014/15. At that time, the Swabians already had five points more on their account. In the seven years that followed, the last player after 21 rounds was always in 18th place at the end of the season. A total of three quarters of all tables-18. after the 21st matchday finally start the transition to the 2nd league.

Fährmann has hopes in the new coach Thomas Reis, who has only averaged 0.7 points in ten games since he took office on October 27th. “He has a direct manner, the type fits in perfectly with the Ruhr area. His speech is also very good. We press better than in the first half of the season, win the ball more often and create more chances. We have him to thank for that.” The fact that Schalke might be looking for a new number one at the end of the season is only of minor concern to Fährmann, and his attitude will not change. Fährmann already has an idea for the time after his career: “I’ll probably start a distance course in sports management and continue to educate myself in this way. Of course, working as a goalkeeping coach would also be an option.”

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