After the defeat in the Westfalenpokal final, the season is over for FC Schalke 04’s U19s. Here’s how it continues for the talents around Keke Topp.

After the 1:2 defeat in the Westphalia Cup final against SC Paderborn, the season is over for FC Schalke 04’s U19s.

After the game, Schalke’s coach Norbert Elgert clearly criticised his players. Even top striker Keke Topp, who already has one second league game to his name and even made his Bundesliga debut in the 2-0 defeat at TSG Hoffenheim this season, was submerged for long stretches.

“Keke, fix the balls, the team needs your help,” Elgert shouted to him already during the game. But it was not the centre-forward’s day either. The only Schalke goal was scored by goalkeeper Luca Podlech, of all people. “It’s significant that Luca Podlech has to score the goal afterwards and that not a single attacker has a chance of scoring and, above all, that he doesn’t score the decisive goal,” said Schalke’s coach after the game. “These are games where that’s what counts. And you have to be good when it counts. And we were too seldom this year.”

Nevertheless, the question naturally arises for Topp – as it does for the other players who are now growing out of the youth ranks – what will happen after the season. One thing is clear: Ngufor Anubodem and Emmanuel Gyamfi have already signed contracts for the U23s. This was announced by the club.

Schalke: Will Keke Topp make the leap into the professional team?

Elgert hopes that more players will follow: “The training in the U23 should continue. That’s why I hope that many players will be taken over from this team in the future. What do we gain from bringing in boys who are 20, 21 years old and have one or two years more experience and we give away our own players?” However, he said it was not for him to decide, but he was always available to advise. “But that’s already the case that we already have enough guys to take, definitely.”

What is currently more of a problem is the influx of top players into the Bundesliga. It is not yet clear whether Keke Topp will also continue in the U23s, or whether he might be given a professional contract.

There have already been talks in his case regarding future squad membership, said Schalke’s sports director Peter Knäbel after the match against Paderborn. However, Knapppenschmiede boss Mathias Schober is in charge here. There was no time pressure anyway, as Topp still had a follow-up contract until the summer of 2024. Recently, there had been rumours that Werder Bremen wanted to bring back the striker, who comes from their own youth. So it will soon be decided what happens next for him as well.