Ex-Schalke coach breaks his silence: "It hit me"
Soccer coach Thomas Reis has spoken in detail for the first time about his departure from FC Schalke 04 last September. "The dismissal in the middle of the week came as a surprise and hit me hard. I would have liked to have played one or two more games before the international break. I thought things were moving in the right direction, at least in small steps," said the 50-year-old in an interview with Sport 1 on Thursday. After seven games with just seven points and a drop to 16th place, he had to vacate his coaching position at the Revierclub.
Reis referred to the positive start to his work at FC Schalke following his move from VfL Bochum at the end of October 2022: "I made a financial contribution to come to Schalke. We then played a season in which we were able to spark a little euphoria. After relegation, there was an increase in membership and the overall atmosphere was very positive. That also shows that I contributed to this as a coach. I was firmly convinced that we could have been very successful together down the stretch."
Despite his disappointment at the separation, he described his time at Schalke as instructive: "I can take a lot with me for my next job. We played a very strong second half of the season in 2022/23 with many emotional highlights, even though we were unfortunately relegated at the end. Overall, I don't want to look back on it so negatively."
According to Reis, the fact that the Revierclub is currently in 16th place even after the change of coach gives him "no satisfaction": "No, it's just a shame that the club is still at the bottom." The coach recommended more discipline and cohesion: "The opinion of the coach and the sporting management must be the measure of all things and no player should have the option of going through a back door to another person. Schalke absolutely must get a grip on this."
Reis hopes to return to his job soon: "I'm relaxed and will wait and see. But I'm slowly starting to feel a bit tingly again. I would also be confident of playing in the 1st division again. Going abroad would also be appealing. I didn't take that step as a player. I'm open to anything."
In the Bundesliga 2, Reis expressed his desire to manage a team again, potentially even returning to FC Schalke 04, known for their love of soccer. Rice, a potential new signing, could add stability and discipline to the struggling team, helping them climb out of their current 16th position.
Source: www.dpa.com
