After Timo Baumgartl, Dominick Drexler is no longer part of Schalke 04’s professional team. Coach Karel Geraerts informed him of this in a conversation on Tuesday.
First a benchwarmer, now with the U23: Dominick Drexler. IMAGO/RHR photo
According to kicker information, Geraerts was not of the opinion that Drexler was ready to subordinate himself and go along with him without restrictions. That’s exactly what the coach is demanding in the relegation battle that S04 has been in for weeks.
This is also evident from the official announcement that Schalke published on Tuesday afternoon. “As a team, we have to stick together closely in the remaining games to stay in the league. Every individual has to subordinate themselves to this goal, we made that very clear to the team,” Geraerts was quoted as saying. “Dominick has recently put himself above the team. I have therefore made the decision that Dominick will be part of the U23 until further notice.” On Tuesday, Drexler was already missing from training for the 13th place team.
With a fresh contract on the bench and stands
Drexler moved from 1. FC Köln to Gelsenkirchen in the summer of 2021, and last November he extended his contract until 2025. However, the 33-year-old never played a major role in Geraerts’ plans, who had recently taken over at Schalke; he sometimes had to watch the games from the stands. “He’s not giving me what I need at the moment,” Geraerts said in mid-February. Apparently the coach is particularly dissatisfied with his training performance.
In the second half of the season, the offensive force was only allowed to play for just under half an hour in the 2:5 in Berlin. In total, he has made eleven appearances (one goal) this season.
Baumgartl also with the U23
At the end of March, Schalke had already sent Timo Baumgartl to the U23s. Geraerts said he was “not happy” with the defender’s performance. “In the training sessions over the past few weeks I haven’t gotten the impression that he will help us in the remaining important competitive games.” The 28-year-old then spoke up via Instagram and described his point of view.
2024-04-09 11:22:41
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