Big quarrel in the supervisory board: Muslic wants to shake up "giant" Schalke in Klopp style

At his official presentation, Schalke's new coach outlined the kind of football he intends to play. He made a promise to the Gelsenkirchen fans. With Miron Muslic, the Royal Blues are finally hoping to achieve the continuity they've been hoping for in the coaching position.

Miron Muslic delivered his clear words in a calm, almost quiet voice. "Unyielding," "intense," and "aggressive"—that's how the new Schalke coach envisions his team. During the coach's official introduction, it became clear: The game under him will have little to do with last season's performances. "I can promise the Schalke fans that we want to develop a new dynamic, a new sense of togetherness," Muslic said. This is urgently needed.

After a disastrous few years and a low point of 14th place in the 2. Bundesliga, the proud, traditional club is finally looking to get back on track and, in the medium term, return to the Bundesliga. The Gelsenkirchen-based club has hired a coach who, while largely unknown in Germany, nevertheless appears confident and clearly knows exactly what he wants and demands.

Muslic: "We are in a performance industry"

Willingness to work and dedication are part of it. The high expectations at Schalke, with its huge, always sold-out arena, should no longer be a "backpack" or a hindrance, but rather an incentive. "We're in a performance industry. This pressure is part of our job. We have to find ways to deal with it," says Muslic.

"Schalke is still a giant in German football. Schalke means a lot to many people, not just in Gelsenkirchen or the Ruhr region, but throughout Germany," Muslic emphasizes. "When you first come into contact with Schalke, something happens to you." He wants to quickly implement a style of football that lives up to this significance. Passionate, attacking. Players as ball hunters in pressing, a bit of Jürgen Klopp-style football. Muslic is convinced that this will also be possible with his new team.

He believes that, thanks to his special childhood, he's a good fit for the local club, both as a coach and as a person. "My childhood and my youth feel similar to many stories here in Gelsenkirchen," says the 42-year-old. He knows that you have to work hard for everything in life. Born in 1982 in what is now Bosnia-Herzegovina, the coach came to Austria with his family as a refugee. There he played and also completed his first coaching positions.

Recently, quarrels in the supervisory board

With the new coach, whom Schalke brought in from relegated English second division side Plymouth Argyle, the hoped-for continuity in the coaching position should finally be achieved. Muslic knows that his employer is a special club, not only in terms of coaching turnover and pressure, but also in terms of its environment and the media hype.

The most recent example: After the disastrous season, Supervisory Board Chairman Axel Hefer publicly and harshly criticized the team and its roster composition in a verbal blast. This displeased fellow board member Ender Ulupinar, who expressed his displeasure with Hefer's actions via social media. At the last Supervisory Board meeting, Ulupinar received his comeuppance. Although he remains a member of the board and has voting rights, unlike before, he is no longer represented on any committee and is essentially sidelined.

Baumann on Muslic: "He exemplifies a culture of high performance"

Such topics don't contribute to a calm working environment, but will likely be a marginal concern for Muslic. He knows he has enough to do as it is. The coach is already fully involved in squad planning. The new sporting director, Frank Baumann, sees the coach as "the most important person in sports" and says specifically of Muslic: "He exemplifies a culture of high performance." The two maintain close coordination when putting together the new team.

This summer, too, there's a shake-up in store. A new team is to be built around Kenan Karaman, who will remain captain under Muslic, returning Timo Becker in defense, and goalkeeper Loris Karius. It's said to have the potential to compete for promotion.

Baumann, Muslic, squad planner Ben Manga, and sporting director Youri Mulder are also dependent on transfer revenue to shape their team. Schalke's top scorer Moussa Sylla and youth international Taylan Bulut are considered potential candidates who could bring in some cash for the heavily indebted Gelsenkirchen club. However, Sylla, who scored 16 goals last season, would leave a significant gap in terms of the club's performance.

Special measures during training

Muslic also needs to win back the fans' support. During the 2-1 defeat against Elversberg on the last matchday, many supporters mocked their own players. The solution to this sounds simple: the players should win the fans back over with their performance. "They have the right to demand everything from the team," says Muslic, referring to the fans.

A first measure could further promote reconciliation: the coach now allows his team to train publicly several times in a row.