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Schalke U23 is fighting to stay in the league: Tonello has a plan!
Gelsenkirchen: Schalke 04 U23 is fighting to stay in the Regionalliga West. Raffael Tonello is planning future-oriented measures.
Schalke U23 is fighting to stay in the league: Tonello has a plan!
The U23s of FC Schalke 04 said goodbye to the winter break with an important win behind them. On December 7, 2024, the team beat SC Wiedenbrück 3-1, thereby shortening the gap to the non-relegation zone in the Regionalliga West. Despite the joy of this success, the situation for coach Jakob Fimpel's team remains tense, as they are currently second to last in the table, six points behind the rescue places. Raffael Tonello, who has been responsible for the sports management of Knappenschmiede since March, emphasizes the importance of staying in the league for the U23s and announces that more professionals from the second division should be used in order to offer the young players important match practice, such as RUHR24 reported.
The efforts to prepare the squad for the second half of the season are already showing initial success. As Tonello explained in an interview, there have been positive developments since he took office, even if the road is still rocky. The aim is to integrate talented players into the professional sector and to improve communication between the coaches of the different age groups. In the last game, three young professionals, Martin Wasinski, Felipe Sanchez and Emil Höjlund, were in the starting line-up, which illustrates the permeability between the teams, as is also noted on the club website here.
The look forward
The second half of the season begins for Schalke U23 on January 25, 2025 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 situation. “The relegation of the U23s is a priority for the ‘Knappenschmiede’ and I am confident that Jakob will have a successful second half of the season with his coaching team and the team,” said Tonello. With the right attitude and a clear strategy, the Schalke youth department is hoping for a better year in 2025.