Schalke's Plea for Fan Understanding
Schalke's Struggles in the 3rd Division
With the Royal Blues settling in the 3rd division, their plea for fan understanding echoes loudly. The club's leadership and players penned "special letters" to their 178,000 loyal members, expressing feelings of shame over their embarrassing performances such as the 3:5 defeat against Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Apology and Promises
The club's management and team acknowledged their mistakes, including inadequate squad composition, underperforming players, and failing structures, taking full responsibility for the current situation. They promised to correct undesirable developments during the winter break and make necessary changes to the squad.
The Team's Turn
The players, too, joined the chorus of regret and offered to address the fans personally, expressing their disappointment in falling short of expectations after several subpar performances. They vowed to improve and face the challenges ahead, guaranteeing a different approach for the upcoming games before the winter break.
Confirmation of Emotion and Determination
The Schalke team confessed to feelings of shame, disappointment, emptiness, and anger after their performance against Düsseldorf. These emotions were not an excuse but a driving force to find solutions and get back on track. The team stood united, committing to turnovers, intensive self-reflection, and the pursuit of their shared honor.
Schalke's struggle for fan support intensifies as they prepare to face VfL Osnabrück. The outcome of these upcoming games could significantly impact their progress and chances of regaining their lost glory.
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The fan-based funding initiative, Auf Schalke eG, aims to create a financial buffer and regain fan ownership. Through shares, the cooperative venture will provide Schalke 04 with funds to buy back stadium shares from third parties.
The club also launched a stadium cooperative to raise funds using issue stadium shares for fans. The strategy aims to maintain fan engagement, aligning with the club's ethos, and offer a sustainable alternative to external commercialization in football.
Schalke 04 is also making managerial changes, with Karel Geraerts appointed as head coach in October 2023, and Marc Wilmots as the sporting director in January 2024. Prominent figures in the region, like fan veteran Wenzel Peter, closely follow Schalke's struggles in Bundesliga 2, while sources like TorAlarm Top News, Bild and The Guardian provide extensive coverage of the team's campaign.
