Leon Goretzka and Marko Pjaca given official send-off

A quarter of an hour before kick-off, a highlight reel was displayed on the video screen of the best highlights of the two Knappen in blue and white. Additionally, Marko and Leon were handed gifts by Christian Heidel, Alexander Jobst and Peter Peters. The two players were thanked for their efforts and were told they are always welcome at Schalke.

Goretzka becomes a national team player at Schalke

Leon Goretzka, who will move to Bayern Munich, made 116 Bundesliga appearances for the Royal Blues, scoring 14 goals in that time. In nine DFB-Pokal outings, he found the net twice. Leon also made 22 appearances on the European stage for Schalke, getting three goals to his name in the process,

Due to his impressive performances, the midfielder made the transition to the Germany national team. After making the preliminary World Cup squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Leon has since them become a key component in Joachim Löw’s squad. In July 2017, he was part of the Confed Cup winning team and, one year prior, he won a silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Pjaca scored two goals in the second half of the season

After his short term loan from Juventus, Marko Pjaca shall return to his former club. The Croatia international made seven appearances in the second half of the season, scoring two goals. He also made two DFB-Pokal appearances.

Meyer on holiday

Max Meyer was absent for his send off. “He wasn’t in the stadium but we agreed to that before the game. Max is on holiday to switch off after a turbulent few weeks,” reported Heidel. It’s not yet confirmed which club the 22-year-old shall move to,

Meyer, who decided against extending his contract at Schalke, was at the Knappen for a total of nine years. In that time he featured in 146 Bundesliga games (17 goals), 12 DFB-Pokal games (2 goals) and 34 European appearances (3 goals). Like Goretzka, he was part of the 2016 Olympic Games squad. Meyer also featured in the Germany U21s outfit which won the trophy last summer.

Riether to be negotiated with

Sascha Riether’s contract is also set to expire next month. He was not given an official goodbye. “We’ll sit down soon to discuss suture options,” said Heidel.