Darko Churlinov, promotion hero of FC Schalke 04, drew attention to himself in his first game after returning to VfB Stuttgart.
For the fans of FC Schalke 04 it is certainly still an unusual sight. However, on Saturday wore Darko Churlinov for the first time again white-red instead of royal blue. After returning from his loan in the Ruhr area, the 21-year-old was back on the field for his regular club VfB Stuttgart for the first time. And Churlinov immediately knew how to convince: In the 3-2 win in the friendly against the Swiss champions FC Zurich, the North Macedonian international scored the interim 2-1 from a Stuttgart perspective (69th).
Churlinov was one of the promotion heroes and crowd favorites at Schalke in the previous season. He played 22 games in the 2nd Bundesliga, scoring twice and preparing six goals. Especially in the final phase of the season, the winger showed strong performances. But after the season, the Royal Blues let Churlinov go. The transfer demands from Stuttgart, which are said to be around three million euros, are too high. And VfB did not agree to another loan without a purchase option.
Schalke: Churlinov whereabouts not quite off the table yet
The player himself was bitterly disappointed with the failed transfer and would like to continue playing for the Revierklub. However, there is still a spark of hope: “Darko played a great year, delivered an identification right up to the end that is second to none, although there was no purchase option. It’s like this: At VfB he goes through the door, maybe he will through the door but also back to Schalke 04. Why should we close our eyes to the subject?
Because with a view to the transfer window, which is still open until the end of August, S04 sports director Rouven Schröder emphasized opposite the WAZ at the start of training almost three weeks ago: “Darko Churlinov, who has returned, scored a goal in his comeback game for VfB Stuttgart. The Swabians won the friendly against Swiss champions FC Zurich 3-2 (0-1). Churlinov was in the last season on loan to second division promoted FC Schalke, who, however, lacked the financial means to sign the 21-year-old on a permanent basis.”
