FC Schalke 04 and Jochen Schneider will go their separate ways in the summer. On Tuesday (16/02), the supervisory board reached an agreement with Schneider to relieve the Head of Sport and Communication of his duties on 30th June 2021. Schneider’s contract was due to run until 30th June 2022.

Jochen Schneider will remain in his role until a new sporting director takes over and will oversee the day-to-day business of the first-team squad. Furthermore, the supervisory board has decided to place preparation for the 2021/22 season, regardless of which division the side are in, in the hands of the squad planning team, which is made up of Mike Büskens (coordinator for loan players and international activities), Peter Knäbel (director of youth and development), and Norbert Elgert (U19s head coach). Jochen Schneider will be available to the trio in an advisory role, and implement decisions in consultation with the three-member team.

“The supervisory board is in agreement that fundamental changes in the sporting area are necessary to lead FC Schalke 04 out of the crisis and into a more successful future,” explained Dr. Jens Buchta, chairman of the supervisory board. “Being thorough is more important than making a quick decision with regard to the new structuring of the club’s first-team department. We have full confidence in the abilities of Mike Büskens, Peter Knäbel and Norbert Elgert to continue the intensive planning for the new season. The three of them carry the Schalke DNA and stand for the values of our club. At the same time, we are certain that Jochen Schneider will give everything for Schalke 04 until the very last day. We are very grateful to him for his tireless commitment in times that were anything but easy. We will provide information on the further personnel and changes in first-team squad in due course.”

“Unfortunately, over the past twelve months, we have not been able to implement what we set out to do almost two years ago,” said Jochen Schneider. “There is no doubt that I carry responsibility for planning, developments and decisions that I have always made to the best of my knowledge and belief. This also includes wrong decisions that make me very angry when I look back upon them. We will try everything up to the last matchday, against all projections, to try to stay in the league. Regardless of this, I firmly believe in the strength and greatness of our club and will do everything in my power to make the transition as easy as possible for the new sporting leadership. S04 is and will continue to be a great club that will hopefully soon return stronger from this extremely difficult situation. I hope that our club will return to steadiness and rediscover that togetherness that is the basic prerequisite for successful work – the unique togetherness that makes Schalke the club that it is.”

(FC Schalke 04)