In the training camp in Fuente Alamo, Spain, Schalke’s license player coordinator spoke about the previous season’s performance, the change in the S04 and the current squad.
Sascha Riether has had a remarkable career with Schalke: In summer 2015, the full-back came from SC Freiburg to Gelsenkirchen as a supplementary player and initially only signed a one-year contract. But those responsible for the royal blue recognized that they had brought more than just a footballer into the team with the native Breisgauer, who could rotate into the starting eleven if necessary: In Riether, Schalke won a clever loudspeaker that actively contributed to the team’s cohesion. Riether subsequently received a follow-up contract after a follow-up contract.
In summer 2019, he ended his professional career at Schalke at the age of 36 – and still received a new contract with the Royal Blues: Sports Director Jochen Schneider filled him in the newly created position of coordinator for the licensed players department.
In the winter training camp in Schalke in Fuente Alamo (Spain), Riether explains in an interview with t-online.de what role he plays in the current Schalke change, how the club wants to retain top talent in the long term after Alexander Nübel’s departure which position in the current transfer window is still to be expected.
t-online.de: Mr. Riether, how has the team changed since you started your job as coordinator license player in the summer?
Sascha Riether: First of all, the view of the team changed for me. Last season I was still in the cabin every day, now I’m sitting one floor higher with a new job and my own office. However, the team itself has hardly changed. We’re almost 1-1 with the same players as last season. What has changed is how the team presents itself – and that is very gratifying. We are currently very satisfied, but we must not let up. It is our incentive to go one step further on the current performance.
Can the change in the S04 only be explained with a return to self-confidence?
The key argument in this discussion is David Wagner. He had a lot of intense conversations with the players and made it clear to them that they would all start from scratch under him – and the guys used that approach to prove themselves.
Working together on the Schalke of the future: head coach David Wagner (left) and Sascha Riether. (Source: eu-images / imago images)
When did it become clear that Schalke would also be your professional future after your active career?
In football you never know what the future will look like. I never could have imagined that I would end up in England – and suddenly I was a regular at Fulham in London. After my goodbye to Schalke, however, I quickly expressed my wish to remain in the club.
There was a lot of discussion about Schalke’s personnel policy in the summer. With Tomasz Hajto, a S04 legend had complained that the club would not approach him and would not accept the help offered, Marcelo Bordon had previously regretted that Schalke had not tried to involve him professionally. To what extent is criticism of the lack of involvement of deserving alumni justified at Schalke?
Some former players are already active in various positions at Schalke, just think of Gerald Asamoah and Mike Büskens; I also see myself clearly as a former Schalke player. Of course it is something special if you can continue to work as a club legend after your active career in the club. Nevertheless, the quality of their work also counts for these people.
Amine Harit is the prime example of the Schalke change. To what extent are these the fruits of your daily work?
The most important step was that Jochen Schneider came in and reorganized the club in some areas. He not only brought David Wagner as a new coach, but also created positions that did not exist before; like mine as a coordinator license player. With Massimo Mariotti (came from VfB Stuttgart in summer 2019 as S04, editor’s note), we now have an employee who only looks after our new and foreign players and their families. Because it is very simple: If the families feel good, the players are also satisfied. It is people like Massimo Mariotti who give our association the few extra percentages that we can offer every employee a top environment.
Schneider shows how important external impulses can be for a club like Schalke.
Absolutely. He has a lot of experience, has done an excellent job at VfB Stuttgart, has become a German champion with the club, and has provided basic, modern structures in Leipzig that are jointly responsible for RB’s current success. This input from other clubs is extremely valuable to us.
Jochen Schneider: The new strong man at Schalke can draw on years of experience in the football business. (Source: RHR photo / imago images)
They say that Schneider has brought the necessary structure to Schalke. Does this mean that during your active time at Schalke you lacked a certain structure in the club?
It is useless to look back. It is important that we make the best of the current situation. Just because we are doing things differently or differently now doesn’t necessarily mean that everything went wrong before.
David Wagner preaches calm, but his players are already dreaming of Champions League nights. How do you steer against it in your position?
I think it’s good when our players have dreams and goals, we don’t want to shut anyone up. However, every single player must be aware that nothing has been won and our development is not yet complete. If only one player takes a step less than necessary, it can already go in the wrong direction again.
Alexander Nübel caused a stir this season. To what extent does his decision against Schalke send a signal to the current squad?
The first half of the season was very positive and showed that we don’t have to hide from any team in the second half of the season. Our players have shown in every game what it means to play for Schalke and how special this club is. And Alexander Nübel’s move will not change that.
Alexander Nübel: The goalkeeper presents himself completely carefree in the S04 training camp. (Source: RHR photo / imago images)
How do you want to convince top Schalke players as a medium to long-term career station if the captain prefers to do without the bandage and regular place to switch to an uncertain future at Bayern?
You just have to come to one of our home games and experience this incredible atmosphere. I know from many conversations how special it is even for guest players to run into Schalke. Our fans ensure that this emotionality also travels with us and that away games often feel like home games to us.
We come to a winter access. You signed Michael Gregoritsch. What is your first impression of him? His clearly formulated intention to switch away from Augsburg was viewed critically by many S04 fans.
Michael fit into the team in an exemplary manner, and the first training impressions are also extremely positive. He is a fundamentally positive boy who will bring us forward through his footballing qualities in the second half of the season.
Gregoritsch’s transfer was also necessary: Schalke lacked a real goal striker in the first half of the season.
With Guido Burgstaller we already have an excellent striker who can tie the balls in front. But we still saw a need for this position and struck when the opportunity arose with Michael Gregoritsch. For us, transfers are primarily about improving the team and not about filling gaps. We are quite well positioned, but of course we are still keeping an eye on the market.
Sascha Riehter (left) with t-online.de reporter Dominik Sliskovic in the Schalke team hotel in Fuente Alamo / Spain. (Source: private)
In which areas does the team still need to be improved?
We will react to the current situation in winter. That means we’ll still be thinking about central defense. Michael Reschke and Jochen Schneider are in constant communication with David Wagner: What is the status of the injured? Does another player want to leave the club? And then it is a matter of finding and striking solutions.
What do you personally hope for from the season?
For us it should go on as before. We were one of the surprises of the first half of the season and want to take this momentum into the second half of the season. Should we actually make the leap into international business, that would be excellent for the club, both financially and in terms of sport. It would certainly put us in a better negotiation situation with one or the other player. But with all the reverie we shouldn’t lose sight of the past season and rather bake smaller rolls, otherwise it can quickly go in the wrong direction for us again.
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