Darko Churlinov became a hero at Schalke 04 and received thousands of fan messages. But negotiations for a possible return are stalled.

The year 2023 is almost over – it was (once again) a very turbulent one for FC Schalke 04. The hope of an unexpected Bundesliga stay was followed by the sadness of relegation, and the euphoria of the summer break, when the only topic of conversation was the return to the Bundesliga, was followed by the disappointment of a weak first half of the season.

The year 2024 begins on January 2 with the flight to the training camp in Portugal – coach Karel Geraerts would have liked to have had new players with him already. But that’s not going to happen.

The number one candidate is winger Darko Churlinov, the hero of the 2021/22 promotion campaign, who is still popular with the Royal Blue fans. Churlinov is still under contract with Premier League club Burnley until 2026, but is to be loaned out as he currently has no chance of a place in the professional squad.

However, there is apparently a deadlock in the negotiations. The WAZ editorial team spoke to Churlinov’s agent Mehmet Eser from the M-Soccermanagement agency about this.