Frank Baumann: We have a clear plan for our sporting development

Frank, your first year at Schalke is coming to an end after seven months. How has your start to life here been?
I was given a very warm welcome and quickly felt at home. That made it a much easier start for me. It was also helpful that I had a few months before my official start date to discuss many topics and important decisions with my fellow board members. There was more than enough work. That meant it was, and still is, especially important that we work as a team and face challenges together. This is the only way we can achieve lasting results.

Many wondered at first whether Frank Baumann and Schalke were a good fit. How do you feel now at the end of the year?
(laughs) There was a lot of talk about that. I feel that my expectations were all completely correct. Even in the discussions before I took the job, I could tell how professionally the club is managed and how clear the plan is to make Schalke more successful again. That has been exactly how it’s continued over the past few months.

When you began in your role, the mood around the club was at its lowest point after the worst league finish in the side’s history. Now, Schalke sit top of the table. What has led to this change in fortunes?
We drew the right conclusions from our analysis and made decisions based on these observations. In autumn 2024, the club had already begun to set things into motion, particularly with the Schalke DNA project. This established, for the first time, a clear footballing philosophy and thorough profiles for each position. After I started, we focused on these criteria even more and applied them consistently, including when we chose the head coach. We have developed a clear plan for our sporting development and implemented it step by step. This has influenced everything from the criteria for choosing our head coach to the way we want to structure our squad so that we can use our budget in a considered manner. This clear plan has dictated the direction we’ve taken.

Aggression, intensity and bravery are the core elements of the Schalke DNA. You introduced the concept of high-intensity culture very early on. How do you implement that in your day-to-day work?
We demand that and try to set an example every day – in every training session, on every matchday, and when the players are recovering. Miron Muslic and his coaches implement this culture consistently and demand the utmost focus and energy from the players and staff. Loris Karius put it neatly after the Nürnberg game: the way we prepare during the week dictates how the matches play out at the weekend. Therefore, it’s vital that we’re always focused on the next task. These aren’t just clichés; they’re the basis for lasting success.

How far along are you on this journey?
We’ve made huge strides. You can see that on the pitch. The team are working hard for one another and giving everything. That is central to our philosophy. We’re still nowhere near where we aim to be, though. There is potential to improve in every area. It’s good that the team are very self-critical. That is a requirement for us to keep developing every day. As well as Miron, I’d also like to give credit to Youri Mulder, who is playing a key role in implementing our high-performance culture in the first-team setup.

At the end of the day, the league table is what matters in football. Can we view the first half of the season as a total success?
Our points total is very good. We’re happy with that. However, we know that there’s still room for improvement in a lot of areas, and that a good start to the season isn’t enough by itself. After the Christmas break, we need to keep going in the same vein, keep working hard and prove ourselves again every week. We’re focusing on being better than the opponents on every matchday, every week. We need high intensity all around the club to achieve that.

Your motto within the club was “less talk, more action”. Have you successfully followed that mantra?
That’s for other people to decide. The table is clearly an indication that we’ve been able to achieve a lot. The way Schalke are being viewed from the outside is a good sign too. Our task is to use our actions to convince members and fans that we’re on the right path. This is the only way we can achieve lasting improvement at Schalke.

You’re obviously dreaming of promotion, but equally, you’re wary that Schalke could slip down the table. How do you deal with that?
Dreaming is allowed. We won’t deny anyone that. Personally, I always see an opportunity first and foremost. We will work hard in the short winter break to be as well-prepared as possible. We are facing strong opponents after the break in Hertha BSC, Kaiserslautern and Bochum. We shouldn’t forget that a lot of our wins have been by a small margin, and sometimes we’ve needed a bit of luck. That’s why I always emphasise that we have to push ourselves to the limit in order to win games in this league. I’m excited to see how our team continues to develop.

The transfer window opens in January. What are your aims?
The January market is different to the summer market. In principle, we’re happy with our squad, and we’ve also got some players coming back from injury. They will be like new signings for us. Obviously, we’ll look at options for both incomings and outgoings. However, our strategy is clear: we’ll only do a deal if we’re certain that the player will help us move forward in both a footballing sense and in terms of character, and only if it works for us financially. One thing we can’t forget is that we took a risk in the summer by exceeding our budget in the low seven-figure range. That was very much a conscious decision so that we could improve the squad in a considered manner.

From the first team to the youth squad: how important is the Knappenschmiede academy?
After the focus was initially very much on the first team, I am now paying much more attention to the Knappenschmiede. It will be central to achieving lasting success with Schalke 04. We have great coaches and exciting young players. Equally, there is now more competition than ever for the top talents. At Schalke, we offer a very clear pathway to the first team. The emergence of the likes of Mertcan Ayhan, Mika Wallentowitz and Paul Pöpperl have shown that. There are still areas to improve here, and we want to achieve that together.

The women’s football sides are also developing well.
Yes, that has been striking. Both the first team and the youth academy, which has a full complement of age groups, have been on a great trajectory since the women’s team was founded just five years ago. Schalke are doing vital work for women’s and girls’ football in Gelsenkirchen and the wider region. The next steps are, much like in the Knappenschmiede, to do with infrastructure such as dressing rooms and pitches.

Finally, what are your aims for 2026?
I’d like everyone at Schalke to continue to work as a unit and help us to reach long-term aims together, even if there are setbacks. Many things are possible if everyone at Schalke sticks together. I’d like to thank each and every Schalker and wish you all a great Christmas. I can’t wait for 2026!