For months, there have been rumors about a Schalke opposition centered around Clemens Tönnies. Now the former club boss is speaking – in no uncertain terms.

Former supervisory board chairman Clemens Tönnies has once again strongly criticized the current management of the second division soccer club Schalke 04, but rejected speculation about his own plans for a coup. He was “not aware of any so-called opposition group,” Tönnies told the Funke Mediengruppe on Tuesday. He himself would “no longer hold any official office at Schalke.”

Read the full story with background information from our colleagues at WAZ here.

With Schalke facing relegation to the third division and the club also struggling financially, Tönnies’ name had recently been bandied about as a possible driving force behind an opposition group. However, the billionaire from Rheda-Wiedenbrück can imagine getting involved, at least behind the scenes: “If the board and supervisory board have recognized that a change of course is needed, I am always available to provide advice and support. I would use my network to find a good team that can help.”

This means that, in Tönnies’ view, the current leadership must be replaced. ‘Changes are needed. The committees and offices must be staffed with experts from business and sports with a broad network. It can’t go on like this. The catastrophic development of the past three years brings tears to the eyes of every Schalke fan,’ he said.

Tönnies was the strong man at Schalke from 2001 to 2020 before he resigned under massive public pressure.