Marc Wilmots: We’re looking for players who are a perfect fit for Schalke

Marc Wilmots has had a busy start to life in his new role at S04 with the winter training camp, but the Belgian believes that it has gone well so far. “For me, it was important to see the squad and the coaching staff straight away. I wanted to get to know everyone and learn more about the training sessions.” Wilmots added that, now, the main priority is getting out of the “red zone”. Alongside signing new players, he is focused on quickly and accurately evaluating the current squad.

The newly-appointed director of sport is well aware of the difficult financial circumstances the club finds itself in and stated, “We always talk about money, but we shouldn’t forget that we already have a squad.” He noted that it is up to him and technical director André Hechelmann to get the most out of the current group of players in order to achieve the best possible result for Schalke 04. “We’ve got to be on the lookout for young talents and good-value players who are also a perfect fit for Schalke.” He noted that he’s unwilling to make compromises in this regard. Wilmots has also had to reckon with another aspect of his new job. He explained how he’s not a big fan of signing players on loan as a temporary solution to long-term issues, but that “we need to consider it in individual cases if it benefits the side in the short term.” If plan A doesn’t work out, you need to have a plan B and a plan C to hand.

The Belgian follows a clear set of principles and a fixed process as far as player recruitment is concerned. Alongside the fact that they need to be versatile and fit in perfectly with the club, he wants to have watched potential new signings at least twice in person – one game at home and another on the road. However, irrespective of how the transfer period pans out, Wilmots is aware of how difficult the first four games against Hamburger SV, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Eintracht Braunschweig and Holstein Kiel will be. Now, the most important thing is: “Work, work, work – and deliver!” The 54-year-old is feeling positive ahead of the upcoming games, not only due to the current squad situation, but also the fact that a number of players are returning from injury: “We’ll get back a lot of strength in our attack through Bryan Lasme and Yusuf Kabadayi.”

In the view of the ‘Eurofighter’, support from the fans is at least as important when it comes to achieving our sporting aims. He knows from his own playing career what can happen when the whole stadium is behind the team, especially as a lot can change quickly in football. “Under our coach Jörg Berger, we were just outside the relegation places and had to be escorted from the stadium by the police. A few months later, we won the UEFA Cup under Huub Stevens.”

He has continued to follow the Royal Blue way in the last 20 years and has kept in close contact with former teammates Olaf Thon, current assistant coach Mike Büskens and member of the supervisory board Youri Mulder. The latter was the first person he spoke with about returning to the club as sporting director. “If you know that everything’s going well and a club is successful, then it’s easy to go there. But at Schalke, I know the club, I know about its huge potential, and therefore the decision was easy.” In addition, there is one thing that hasn’t changed: “I still have blue blood coursing through my veins.

When asked about comparisons with Rudi Assauer, who was a close friend of his, he had to disappointment the media. “There’s only one Rudi, and there’s not going to be another.” However, the long-term general manager’s achievements for Schalke remain unmatched today: “That’s crazy.” Wilmots will also be close to the action: “I will observe every training session. If I’m occupied with something else, André will be there.” Team work with the technical director is as important to him as his presence. Even though he promised his daughter that he would live in Belgium for a year and a half until her 18th birthday, he will be at Schalke every day. “If you work here, you need to be here in person.” Consequently, he’s got an apartment viewing in the Buer district as early as next week. “However, I don’t want reveal the street to you”, he explained shrewdly, addressing the auditorium.

The 54-year-old also has clear expectations for the procedures regarding match days. He will only attend press conferences in exceptional cases: “That’s Karel’s job.” Finally, he knows all too well which areas you want to be responsible for from his time as a coach. He was also able to give an equally precise answer to the question of whether he will sit on the bench during games: “I’ll sit in the stands for the time being.”