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Kees van Wonderen: We’ve made good progress already
The Royal Blues are back in league action this Saturday afternoon (19/10) away at Hannover 96 at 13:00 CEST. It will be the first competitive game in charge for new head coach Kees van Wonderen.
When the matchday 9 fixture at the Heinz von Heiden-Arena kicks off, the 55-year-old will have been at the helm for 13 days. For the coach, it’s been a short but intense period so far: “It already feels like home for me. The club is run professionally and I’ve really enjoyed working with the players since the first day,” he explained. “I now hope we’ll enjoy Saturday’s game in Hannover too.”
The hosts are currently sat in sixth place with 13 points, with 12 of those coming from their four home games so far, meaning they have a 100% record in Hannover this season. Overall, there have been just 15 goals scored in games involving Hannover in 2024/25, a league low. “Hannover have a strong team with experienced players and lots of quality,” praised van Wonderen. “They’re particularly dangerous at home, but that’s a good thing because we know it’s going to be a challenge and we can test ourselves to see where we’re at and how we can deal with their quality.”
Set pieces decide games. They're so important in modern football.
One important factor on Saturday could be set pieces. S04 have scored six goals in this manner this season, a league high, while Hannover have conceded just two goals from dead balls, the fewest in the division. “Set pieces decide games. They’re so important in modern football,” stated Schalke’s coach.
Van Wonderen revealed that there would be a change in goal this weekend. Ron-Thorben Hoffmann will start against Hannover and at home against Greuther Fürth, while Justin Heekeren will then return for the DFB-Pokal second-round tie at FC Augsburg and the away trip to SSV Ulm. “It’s important for me to see how they react in different situations and I can’t judge that from just a few days of training,” explained the Dutchman. “They will therefore get chances to play and I’ll take my time in deciding who will provide our game with more stability in the long run.”
Cissé due back on Friday
The coach wants to use every possible training session in order to help him decide on his best squad for Hannover. The game will come too soon for Adrian Gantenbein and Christopher Antwi-Adjei is a doubt. Ibrahima Cissé is due back from international duty with Mali on Friday. “We’ve made good progress already,” added van Wonderen. “But we need to continue making lots more.”
