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Again in focus: Ur-Schalke Mike Büskens takes over as interim coach
Photo:
Ina Fassbender / dpa
After the separation from coach Dimitrios Grammozis, Schalke 04 announced a successor: The previous assistant coach and longtime Schalke player Mike Büskens will take over as interim coach until the end of the season.
This was announced by the second division soccer team.
"We are very pleased that Mike Büskens has agreed to our proposal to support the club in the current phase by moving to the front row at short notice," said Schalke's sporting director Rouven Schröder.
"We are 100 percent convinced that Buyo is the right choice for the final phase of the season."
Büskens will not be leading the training for the time being.
This is due to a corona infection, Büskens had tested positive on Sunday.
According to the club, he currently has no symptoms.
First, Matthias Kreutzer takes over the practice units.
Schalke is currently in sixth place in the 2nd Bundesliga and is already six points behind the relegation rank.
A return to the Bundesliga would not only be extremely important from a sporting point of view, but also financially – not least because the long-standing sponsor Gazprom will not be making any further payments in the millions in the future.
Since 2007, the Russian state-owned company has been the most important financier of the Gelsenkirchen company, which is burdened with around 200 million euros in liabilities.
As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the club ended the cooperation.
Inconsistency in the fight for promotion
Grammozis took over Schalke in the hopeless Bundesliga relegation battle last season and went into the second division.
There, Schalke was characterized above all by inconsistency, Schalke could only win one of the last four games.
After the 3:4 on Saturday against Hansa Rostock, the separation took place.
With Büskens, a Schalke veteran should now turn the tide in the fight for promotion.
25 years ago, the 53-year-old was part of the biggest success in the club's history, the triumph in the Uefa Cup, back then under the legendary coach Huub Stevens.
He is said to have played a decisive role: he first sought a conversation with his family and Stevens, said Büskens.
"Everyone advised me to take on the task until the end of the season."
hba/dpa/sid
