The Schalke team actually wanted to gain self-confidence in the test against the third-division team SC Verl. But that went wrong.

39 minutes had passed in the secret test between Schalke 04 and SC Verl on an S04 training ground when Simon Terodde burst out.

Because a whistle failed to blow after a slight foul on the striker, Terodde raced towards the referee and raged. Loudly, the 34-year-old yelled at the referee and vented his frustration. Quite rightly, he was shown the yellow card. It was a sad climax in the weak test match of the Schalke team against the third division team from Verl, which ended in disappointment. The Bundesliga team disgraced itself in a 1:2 (0:1) defeat against the glaring outsider.

Thomas Reis’ team did not show much of the upward trend of the past weeks. The many grumblings of the Schalke players were particularly noticeable – Dominick Drelxer, for example, received a yellow card after complaining to the referee several times.

One possible explanation for the weak performance is the personnel changes. Reis gave players a chance to prove themselves against Verl who had hardly played in the Bundesliga recently. No player from the starting eleven in the 0:0 against VfL Wolfsburg was even in the Schalke squad. But the nobodies did not play for the Königsblauen – because besides Terodde, Drexler and Ouwejan, Eder Balanta and Mehmet Aydin also started for S04. These are all players who have the right to be regulars. However, they could not impose themselves – the opposite was the case.

The Bundesliga team did not dominate the game. Despite having more possession, Schalke could hardly create any useful chances in the first half. A free kick by Thomas Ouwejan (18th) and a finish by Kenan Karaman (45th) were the best chances before the break – but in both cases the ball went over the goal.

The guests from Verl did better, visibly impressing the Bundesliga professionals with their aggressiveness. The 1:0 lead of the outsiders in the 22nd minute was not undeserved. After a lost header duel by Leo Greiml, the ball landed at the feet of Nicolas Sessa, who scored from 20 metres.

Schalke also showed little improvement after the change of ends – but at least the equaliser still came. After a good solo run, substitute Sidi Sané was fouled in the Verl penalty area. Ouwejan converted the subsequent penalty kick.

But even the equaliser did not give the Schalkers any security – and it came as it had to come: A few minutes before the end, the Verlers scored through Steijn Meijer to make it 2-1 (85th) – the winning goal. The bottom line was a real embarrassment for the Bundesliga last-place team