Second division side Greuther Fürth visits FC Schalke 04 on Saturday. A new man will be taking his place on the bench.
Just a few days after a disappointing 0-4 defeat in the derby against 1. FC Nürnberg, second division side Greuther Fürth parted ways with coach Alexander Zorniger and sporting director Rachid Azzouzi on Tuesday.
U23 coach Leonhard Haas is expected to provide new impetus and will serve as interim coach until the winter break. Julian Kolbeck joins the coaching team, which consists of Stefan Kleineheismann and Marco Konrad.
Haas’ first task will be a real highlight: on Saturday (October 26, 1 p.m.), Fürth will travel to FC Schalke 04. “I’m looking forward to the game. Schalke isn’t going through an easy phase right now either. I think it’s also a chance for us to show what we can do,” he emphasized ahead of the match.
The new man on the sidelines appeared confident on Thursday and was impressed by his team during the week of training: “I’ve taken over a team that seems absolutely intact. We’ve got good energy on the pitch in training. I’ve also told the team that not everything has to be perfect on Saturday. I believe energy is a decisive factor for everyone, I’ve seen that clearly,” explained the 42-year-old.
We’ll see what happens in the end, but first it’s about the performance we put in on the pitch. How do you act as a team and what does each individual bring to strengthen the team?
Leonhard Haas.
Haas continued: “We’ll see what happens in the end, but first we have to focus on our performance on the pitch. How do you act as a team and what does each individual contribute to strengthen the team? That’s the basis of what it’s all about.”
It is still unclear whether Gideon Jung will be able to participate in this project. According to Haas, he is currently “50:50” fit to play due to problems with his hamstring. Jomaine Consbruch and former Schalke player Kerim Calhanoglu (both knee) are definitely out.
Calhanoglu played a total of 18 competitive games for Schalke, both in the Bundesliga and in the second division. He has been under contract with Kleeblatt since 2023.