NOS Football•Monday, 8:07 PM
Van Wonderen new Schalke coach: ‘Something is going on here’
Kees van Wonderen introduced himself to the German press after it was announced yesterday that he is the new head coach of the fallen superpower Schalke 04. During his presentation, the Dutchman had a surprise in store: he appears to speak excellent German and was in front of the media. Gelsenkirchen in their own language.
“I can still do that from school, so my teacher can be proud of me,” smiles Van Wonderen, who has never played or trained football outside the Netherlands before. “My German is not bad, but not perfect either. That’s possible and it will have to be soon, because we are here in Germany.”
It will be one of the challenges ahead, but there is more work to be done for Van Wonderen. Schalke has been in dire straits for some time now.
Trainerskerkhof
In 2011, Schalke reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. A team full of stars such as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Raúl, Manuel Neuer and Julian Draxler belonged to the German and European top. That’s different nowadays.
Schalke slowly declined after the successes of the beginning of this century and was even relegated from the Bundesliga in 2021. It briefly returned to the top division, but is now playing at the second level again. The fallen superpower finished tenth last season and is currently thirteenth.
“It has been one in recent years Friedhof (cemetery, ed.) of trainers,” Van Wonderen knows. “There is something going on here. This is just a Bundesliga club that has been playing in the second league for a while. A lot needs to be done and I hope to make a small contribution.”
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NOS / Matthijs Weststrate
Kees van Wonderen speaks to the German media -
NOS / Matthijs Weststrate
Kees van Wonderen speaks to the German media
The former coach of Go Ahead Eagles and SC Heerenveen will need time for this. “I’m not so much concerned with short-term performance. It’s about working according to a certain method, the famous word ‘process’.”
Van Wonderen is not afraid to go off. “The moment of boarding is indeed not easy, but Joop Munsterman once said to me: lie on the ground, then you won’t fall… If you want to do something, you sometimes have to stick your neck out.”
“From now on, it’s about making agreements, training hard and analyzing. If we do that every day, the results will follow automatically.”
Positively surprised
When asked whether he was surprised by the call from Schalke, Van Wonderen hesitates for a moment. “Positively surprised, perhaps, because you are not as well known here as in the Netherlands.”
“But I prepared well for the conversation, analyzed the matches and presented how I see it. Both the positive and the points for improvement. We ultimately came to an agreement and Schalke wanted to enter into a commitment.”
So it happens that Van Wonderen will now be in front of the group at the sleeping giant from Gelsenkirchen. As the fourth Dutchman, after Huub Stevens, Fred Rutten and Eddy Achterberg (interim). It is Van Wonderen’s task to revive the club’s glory days.
