After previously strong performances, FC Schalke 04’s U19s were knocked out of the top-class U19 indoor tournament in Göttingen. This is how the final day went for the S04.

Big disappointment for FC Schalke 04’s U19s. After previously strong performances, coach Norbert Elgert’s team was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the REWE Junior Cup in Göttingen.

A slightly less concentrated performance against Fulham FC was enough to destroy the dream of their first success since 2012 at Europe’s biggest indoor tournament. The team lost 0:3 to the English team in the quarter-finals.

Everything had started well for Schalke on the third day of the tournament. After the Königsblauen had already advanced to the intermediate round with five wins and a draw in the preliminary round, there were also two more clear victories against Hannover 96 and Union Berlin.

First, Hannover was defeated 4:1 after trailing 0:1 by two goals from Mattes Hansen and one each from Niklas Barthel and Kelsey Meisel. Then Berlin was clearly dominated and sent home with 3:1. Meisel scored twice and Mattes Hansen again.

Everything was going according to plan for S04. But then things went wrong in the quarter-finals. First they fell behind 0:1. But this time they could not turn the game around. After Schalke missed two very good opportunities through Keke Topp, two two-minute second penalties broke their neck. Fulham took advantage of the first suspension to make it 3-0, and then captain Mattes Hansen fouled out and had to leave the field. With two players, nothing worked, although Schalke tried everything. Fulham then played the game to the end.

With Schalke, not only one of the favourites for the title was eliminated in the quarter-finals. The same fate befell the Knappen’s opponents in the DFB Cup semi-finals in April, 1. FSV Mainz 05. The team of coach Benjamin Hoffmann was also long considered a candidate for the title at the Junior Cup in Göttingen, but was eliminated in the quarter-finals with 1:6 against FK Austria.

Fulham FC against FK Austria Wien was also the final. The Austrians won the cup in the end with a clear 6:1 against the Englishmen.