His departure was actually decided, but then Simon Terodde stayed at FC Schalke 04. He now revealed why in an interview.

Second division record scorer Simon Terodde has been persuaded by his teammates to stay at FC Schalke 04 after his farewell announcement. At the farewell ceremony the day after the team’s relegation from the Bundesliga had become clear, “I received a lot of appreciation from my teammates,” Terodde told “Kicker”: “They told me that I am an important part of this team and that I should please stay. That did something to me – just like the subsequent meeting and conversation with our coach Thomas Reis and the exchange with sporting director André Hechelmann.”

Terodde had announced his departure in mid-April, but then signed a contract until 2026 in early June after all and was even named captain afterwards. In retrospect, Terodde says that the discussions about his future affected his concentration on the final spurt of the season.

After he announced his departure, “I felt very relieved and free. That had a positive effect on my performance.” In addition, he says he experienced “so many goosebump moments in the final spurt,” when he felt “that something big had been created between us players and between the team and the fans – no comparison to how it was when I came to Schalke two years ago.” His advisor had negotiated with other clubs, “but it never really became concrete.”

The eventual signing was also positive news for his biggest fan. “My father was enormously happy that I’m staying at Schalke,” Terodde said, adding with a laugh, “But I didn’t inform him about that until quite late, because otherwise he probably would have called me every hour for joy. He was then present at the signing of the contract. He’s now also a Schalke member. “