Schalke fans are very satisfied with the current management, but they see the bosses of 2019 and 2020 very critically, mainly it is about the then chairman of the supervisory board Clemens Tönnies and the board of directors around Christian Heidel. They were denied discharge at the general meeting on Sunday.
Great fan interest: The Schalke general meeting on Sunday in the arena.
imago images
Bliss in Gelsenkirchen, the master rim in the center as a magnet for the masses. Hymns of praise, some of which degenerated into praise, but everyone involved can be forgiven for that: the general meeting of FC Schalke 04 on Sunday was more harmonious and sentimental than seldom in recent years. This time there were almost no critical comments about the developments of the past few months.
However, the members have not yet made their peace with the time before. Both the management board and the supervisory board for the 2019 and 2020 financial years were not discharged by the majority of the 4238 voters present in the block vote on Sunday. The board members are Alexander Jobst, Peter Peters and Jochen Schneider for both years as well as Christian Heidel (2019) and Christina Rühl Hamers, against whom no grudges were directed. Peters’ successor has only been on the board since October 2020.
Schalke members blame the former sports director Heidel, his successor Schneider, Peters (then CFO) and Jobst (then marketing director) as well as the former chairman of the supervisory board Clemens Tönnies for having led the club to the brink of the abyss with a wasteful approach. The discharge was part of the agenda, as there was no general meeting in 2020 due to the pandemic and the technology at the digital event in 2021 went on strike.
In fact, the refusal to grant relief should not have any legal repercussions for those involved; the result is more of a symbolic nature. In the meantime, the bodies of the year 2021 have been relieved, with a view to the board, it is Rühl-Hamers, sports director Peter Knäbel and the chairman of the board Bernd Schröder. The fact that they were given their trust is a clear sign that the supporters are very satisfied with the work of the current leadership.
Standing ovations for Büskens – Kramer not present
This is not only due to the sporting success of the second division champions (there was a standing ovation for the promotion coach Mike Büskens, who was not present), but above all because the fans have the feeling that they can continue to trust the bosses. Rühl-Hamers is valued for their beneficial, defensively solid financial philosophy, Knäbel is praised for his strategic foresight, sports director Rouven Schröder is celebrated as the “king transfer of the past summer”.
Sports director Schröder, master builder of the promotion squad, is currently busy working on the first division ensemble. In the days leading up to the general meeting, Schalke 04 announced no fewer than seven player personal details: the signing of Tom Krauss, Tobias Mohr, Florent Mollet and goalkeeper Justin Heekeren, the contract extensions for Michael Langer and Dong-Gyeong Lee and Timo Becker’s move to Holstein keel. Added to this is the agreement with trainer Frank Kramer, who did not come to the general meeting. The fans won’t see him until June 22, when the team will train on the pitch for the first time as they return from the Bundesliga.
