Outgoing sporting director Peter Knäbel does not see his greatest success at traditional football club Schalke 04 in the sporting arena.

“This unity between the fans and the team is actually the best thing I’ve ever experienced,” said the 57-year-old, who will leave the Royal Blues at the end of the season, in an interview with Sky.

After relegation in 2021, some fans had attacked the players at their own stadium after their return from the decisive defeat in Bielefeld, and the relationship between the pros and the fans was worse than it had been in a long time. When the team was promoted a year later, the fans celebrated as if Schalke had won the championship title. “Getting that bond back so strong is what I’m personally most proud of,” Knäbel said.

However, his sporting record since February 2021, when he was promoted from youth director to sporting director, is poor, with the club immediately being relegated again and falling to 15th place in the second division. Knäbel, who had recently come under increasing criticism for transfer flops and poor coaching decisions, defended himself: “I believe we set the framework within which we could have succeeded. But that’s just a framework, and within that framework you’re at the mercy of luck and chance. Of course, we didn’t get everything right.”

They had “a competitive budget.” But that means, he added, “it can also go wrong.” He himself had “never played the role of sporting director, but rather fulfilled the role as best I could.” He was not there for the “big show,” said Knäbel, and that was clear “when I was chosen.” Nevertheless, he emphasized: “In the end, I’ll just say: Schalke is awesome!”