Schalke have announced the successor to Dimitrios Grammozis. Mike Büskens (53) will be on the S04 sidelines until the end of the season.
“The current co-coach has declared his willingness to take over as interim coach for the remaining nine league games. Afterwards, ‘Buyo’ will return to his duties as assistant in the new coaching team,” said the official FC Schalke 04 statement, which was released on Monday evening.
“We are delighted that Mike Büskens has agreed to our proposal to support the club in the current phase by moving into the front row at short notice. We are 100 per cent convinced that Buyo is the right choice for the final phase of the season,” said Rouven Schröder, the Knappen’s sporting director. “He lives Schalke and Gelsenkirchen 24 hours a day and will give everything to ensure that we have a chance of promotion to the Bundesliga right up to the last matchday. “
Büskens himself, however, had asked to be allowed to move back into the position of co-coach at the end of the season. “That was also in line with our ideas,” Schröder continued. Büskens himself said: “When Rouven approached me on Sunday afternoon with the club’s request, I first sought talks with my family and with Huub Stevens. Everyone advised me to take over until the end of the season. “
Whether Büskens will travel to Ingolstadt is questionable
Büskens himself will not be able to take up his work on the pitch for the time being. After testing positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, Büskens, who is currently symptom-free, will be absent for the time being. Until further notice, Matthias Kreutzer will lead the units. Büskens’ deployment on Sunday (13 March) in Ingolstadt is possible depending on how his recovery progresses. The full composition of the staff will be announced by S04 in the course of the week.
This is not the first time that the 1997 UEFA Cup winner has been on the head coach’s bench at S04. Büskens was already interim coach at the Königsblauen in 2008 (with Youri Mulder) and 2009 (with Mulder and Oliver Reck). He also worked for SpVgg Greuther Fürth (promoted to the Bundesliga in 2012), Fortuna Düsseldorf and Rapid Wien as head coach.
Numerous direct duels
Schalke 04 had parted company with Dimitrios Grammozis on Sunday, a day after their 4-3 home defeat to Hansa Rostock. The Knappen are only in 6th place in the 2. Bundesliga after 25 match days, six points behind the targeted promotion places.
After Sunday’s game at bottom-placed Ingolstadt, the Gelsenkirchen side will play games against Hannover (H) and Dresden (A) before facing some of their direct rivals in the promotion race: Among others, S04 play in Darmstadt and Nuremberg, and at home against Bremen and St. Pauli.
