“We have been monitoring closely throughout the entire campaign in order to lay the foundations for the best possible season for FC Schalke 04 in the upcoming season,” told S04 sporting director Christian Heidel. “The conclusion of our assessments is that a change was necessary in order to achieve the desired development. This includes bringing in a new head coach,” continued Heidel. “However, this decision was not an easy one to make. I would like to thank Markus Weinzierl and wish him all the best for the future.”
Markus Weinzierl had only joined Schalke 04 last season on a three year contract alongside new sporting director Christian Heidel to take Schalke into a more stable and successful future, but after a terrible Bundesliga start they could never catch-up with the clubs who qualified for European competitions, but even more damning was the judgement that there was no progress in the style and the players under Weinzierl which marked his end at the club.
Domenico Tedesco is the man chosen to take the club forward next season. The 31-year-old began his coaching career within the youth set-up at VfB Stuttgart, where he took charge of the Under-17s between 2013 and 2015, before then joining TSG 1899 Hoffenheim to work with the Under-19s. Tedesco was awarded a Coach of the Year award among fellow trainee coaches in the 2015/16 season. During the second half of last season, he took charge of Bundesliga2 side FC Erzgebirge Aue, where he kept them up thanks to a strong run towards the end of the season.
“Domenico Tedesco may not have much experience in the professional game, but he has convinced us of how he intends to shape the sporting future of the club. How many other clubs would take their chances on such a young and innovative coach,” quizzed Heidel. “The whole board and supervisory board at FC Schalke 04 support the decision.”