Regionalliga team FC Schalke 04 is looking for its first win of the season against Wuppertaler SV. Captain Tim Albutat answered questions before the game.

Before the start of the Regionalliga West season, Tim Albutat was appointed captain of FC Schalke 04 II. The 30-year-old succeeded the departing goal scorer Rufat Dadashov.

Clearly, with his experience of a total of 172 professional games in Germany, Albutat is the extended arm of head coach Jakob Fimpel. The defensive strategist is a key player in the Schalker U23 team, which did not get off to a good start with one point from the first two games.

Schalke II already have the chance to do better on Friday evening (7.30 p.m.) and claim their first win of the season. It will be a difficult task, however, as the home match against title contenders Wuppertaler SV is on the agenda. Forecasting spoke to captain Tim Albutat (30) in the run-up to the game:

Tim Albutat, Friday’s home game at the Parkstadion is against Wuppertaler SV, who won both games in injury time and are among the favourites for promotion. What kind of opponent will the team be facing?

Wuppertal is a very strong opponent who strengthened their team in the summer and have gained in quality. I think they are a very close team. They have set their sights on promotion – just like some other teams. It will definitely be an exciting game. Friday night, floodlit game at the Parkstadion: It’s fun and we’ll dig in.

The first home game against 1. FC Bocholt was surprisingly clearly lost with 2:5. How motivated are you to do better against WSV in front of your home crowd?

We were hoping for more than just a point at the start. We are determined to get our first win as soon as possible. Before the season, we set ourselves the goal of performing even better at home. Unfortunately, that was not the case in the first home game. That’s why we want to do that even more on Friday night. We will give everything to achieve that.

I am proud to have been elected captain and to be able to play as such in every game. For such a big club like FC Schalke 04, that is additionally something very special.

Tim Albutat.

You were appointed captain before the season, following the departure of Rufat Dadashov. What are your main duties as captain and leading player?

My duties as captain and leading player are not much different now than they were last season. I already performed this role with Rufat last time. Now I lead the team together with Pierre-Michel Lasogga. With Andreas Ivan, we have another player who, among other things, is also part of the team council and helps us keep the team on track. I am proud to have been chosen as captain and to be able to play as such in every game. For such a big club like FC Schalke 04, that is additionally something very special.

In February 2023, you already extended your contract early until 2025. What are your goals with Schalke and can you even imagine ending your career with S04?

I consciously extended my contract last season. For me, everything fits at Schalke and I really enjoy it here. The cooperation with the coaching team and Mathias Schober is also working perfectly. I see my early extension as a sign of appreciation – that’s nice and feels good. I don’t want to talk about the end of my career yet, I just want to play as long as possible.