IFC Schalke fans raised their memorabilia in the air, flags waved in the curve and songs of defiant pride and confidence emanated from the throats of over 10,000 people who had traveled with them. No, FC Schalke had not saved themselves just before half past five when the players applauded their supporters. He was relegated, again after just one year in the Bundesliga. The 2:4 defeat at RB Leipzig sealed the second descent in this young decade. And yet a lot was different than 2021.
The team was sung about for minutes, despite relegation, which triggered strange feelings in some of those involved. “It’s strange to have just gotten off and to be celebrated like that,” said Schalke’s team manager Gerald Asamoah. Coach Thomas Reis classified the behavior of his own followers at “Champions League level” and said it was “unique to be relegated like that”.
The team not only received the applause for this game, in which they had fought their way up to 2:2 after an early deficit of 0:2, only to then draw the short straw. Ninety minutes that felt like a reflection of the entire season. Schalke was in last place in the table and had already been relegated before the team started a furious race to catch up. Since restarting after the World Cup, she has 21 points, up from just nine before. “If you look at the second half of the season, for which we unfortunately can’t buy anything, we certainly didn’t get relegated today,” said Reis.
He should lead the club to direct promotion, he has the trust of those responsible. “We have confidence in our coach,” Asamoah said. Reis had given the team new self-confidence after taking over as coach and coached them to sometimes dramatic victories, some secured at the last minute. And yet it wasn’t enough, because in the decisive game in Leipzig at the very end there was a lack of strength and luck.
Eberl avoids statements about Laimer and Nkunku
Schalke saw themselves exposed to a constant offensive from Leipzig from the start. It was no longer about anything for RB. The game had no more value than the show for the cup final against Eintracht Frankfurt next Saturday. Leipzig had already qualified for the Champions League and third place was certain. As a result, Orjan Nyland, the real number three in the club’s internal hierarchy, was allowed to play in goal on the Leipzig side. The Norwegian remained unemployed for a long time, but later took on a role that was anything but nice to him.
Leipzig stormed from the start. After three minutes, Timo Werner narrowly missed a cross pass from Konrad Laimer. A few minutes later, the Austrian was on the right track when the ball fell in front of his feet after a save by Ralf Fährmann. This was preceded by a bad positioning error by Danny Latza, who completely misjudged a goal kick in the direction of Dani Olmo. The Spaniard shot, Ralf Fährmann saved and Laimer scored to make it 1-0.
It was his way of saying goodbye after six years in Leipzig. He will switch to Bayern Munich, but the move has not yet been confirmed. Just as little as that of Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea, which is also considered safe. Nevertheless, Leipzig’s sports director Max Eberl avoided any information on this subject after the game. The departures should only be confirmed after the cup final. This is what has been agreed with the receiving clubs.
Swirling through the Schalke ranks: Mohamed Simakan and the players from RB Leipzig
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Image: EPA
Like Laimer, Nkunku also bid farewell with a goal. As with the first goal, the Schalke defense seemed second-rate in this scene. A simple one-two between Nkunku and Dani Olmo was enough to take six Schalke players out of the game. Leipzig dominated at will and it took a lot of help to bring Schalke into this game. Nyland flew past a corner kick, as only someone with no match practice would do. Marcin Kaminski reduced the lead to 1:2 with a header. Suddenly, the Schalke curve woke up, loud support came from around ten thousand throats and the flags were also waving.
It was already clear before the game that Schalke had to win to even have a chance. And even then you were dependent on other results.
On the lawn, even after the goal, a lot seemed to be from the grace of Leipzig. RB dominated but couldn’t extend the lead. Leipzig’s goalkeeper Nyland developed into the most effective Schalke player and again helped to equalize. He played a kick to his own defender so unhappily that the attacking Schalke quickly won it. Marius Bülter shot immediately, the ball first landed on the post, but then jumped off Willi Orban’s leg and into his own goal.
The equalizer unleashed all the power on Schalke’s side. One more goal and you would have passed Stuttgart at that point and at least reached the relegation. Schalke fought, Sebastian Polter fought in duels with Orban. He asked for penalties twice, but rightly didn’t get them. Not much happened on the pitch, but in the stands. It got loud in the Schalke block, Hoffenheim had taken the lead in Stuttgart. Another goal.
But it fell on the other side. Yussuf Poulsen successfully completed a counterattack after submitting Nkunku. Nkunku could have scored himself, but he missed a goal to catch up with the top scorer, Niclas Füllkrug from Bremen. But no matter what the outstanding attacker tried, he didn’t want to succeed at first. A little later, a shot from him landed on the post, then ferryman held strong. The stoppage time was already running when he reappeared in front of the Schalke goalkeeper. The lob landed in the goal, 4:2. Nkunku was top scorer and Schalke were relegated.
