Schalke U23 is fighting for relegation: Tonello has a plan!

Schalke U23 is fighting for relegation: Tonello has a plan!

The U23 of FC Schalke 04 said goodbye to the winter break with an important victory in the back. On December 7, 2024, the team prevailed 3-1 against SC Wiedenbrück and thus reduced the distance to the non -relegation zone in the Regionalliga West. Despite the joy of this success, the situation for the team of coach Jakob Fimpel remains tense, because it currently ranks as the penultimate table with six points behind the rescue places. Raffael Tonello, who has been responsible for the sporting direction of the briefs since March, emphasizes the importance of relegation for the U23 and announces that professionals from the second division should be used to offer young players important game practice, such as Ruhr24 reported .

The efforts to prepare the squad powerfully for the second half of the season already show initial success. As Tonello explained in an interview, there has been a positive development since taking office, even if the path was still rocky. The aim is to integrate talented players into the professional area and to improve communication between the coaches of the different age groups. In the last game with Martin Wasinski, Felipe Sanchez and Emil Höjlund, three young professionals stood in the starting eleven, which illustrates the permeability between the teams, as is also noted on the club website here .

the look ahead

The second half of the season for Schalke-U23 on January 25, 2025 begins with an away game against KFC Uerdingen. Tonello is confident that the coaching team together with the sporting management will take the necessary measures to get out of the current clamp. "The relegation of the U23 has priority for the 'Knappsschmiede' and I am confident that Jakob will play a successful second half of the season with his team of coaches and the team," said Tonello. With the right attitude and a clear strategy, the Schalke youth department hopes for a better year 2025.