Frank Baumann: I will take on responsibility

Frank, you will join the club as the new board member for sport on 1st June. Congratulations and welcome to Schalke! What does this mean to you?
It means an awful lot to me. I have so much respect for this role – both for the history of the club and for the challenges that lie ahead. I’m really confident that, together with a team of lots of extremely dedicated people, we can have a real impact and help Schalke regain their former strength.

What are your reasons for taking on this role at Schalke? What were the decisive factors?
There were three key points. Firstly, I felt like I fully matched the profile the club was searching for. I can fully identify with this role. I also found the search process extremely professional. The conversations were open and transparent but also confidential, which was really important to me. The board and sporting management gave me a really good feeling about things as well. I can sense that everyone at the club really wants to see Schalke develop their structures, strategies and of course on the pitch as well. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into my work here as part of my new team. There’s no doubt that our aim is to get Schalke back in the Bundesliga permanently.

You mentioned the various teams at the club. You will be part of the board alongside Matthias Tillmann and Christina Rühl-Hamers, though you will also work closely with the sporting management. You already spoke to Youri Mulder and Ben Manga before signing your contract. What were your thoughts after those conversations?
For me, it was really important to not just speak to the supervisory board and my future colleagues on the board, but also to get to know the sporting management. My conversations with Youri and Ben were really positive. They are both different characters, who complement each other well with their respective expertise and experiences. I’m really happy that Ben will continue to look to have a real impact on the club as part of the new setup from the summer onwards. Youri is a familiar face at Schalke, he knows the club in and out. He got stuck into his new role last November and continues to be committed to it every day. We will look to speak to Youri in the near future about a continuation of his role from the summer onwards.

You have many years experience of working in professional football under your belt already. Having spent your playing career with Nürnberg and Bremen, as well as featuring for the Germany national team, you then took up behind the scenes roles, most recently operating as managing director for sport at SV Werder for eight years. Therefore, you regularly came into contact with S04 in one way or another. What makes the Royal Blues such a special club in your eyes?
Schalke is an extraordinary club which instils such emotion in and provides such impetus to its incredible fanbase, encompassing a huge number of members and supporters. I am always impressed by the way in which this community backs the club not just in times of success but also through tricky periods. The strong connection with the members and supporters, as well as to the city and region, is something quite special. I am really looking forward to being a part of this club in the near future.

You mentioned the members and fans. What can the Schalke family expect from you? What characterises you as a person and how do you go about your roles?
I work in a very structured manner, always looking for answers. I operate based on my convictions and always have the club’s best interests in mind. Even as a young player, I acted as a leader as well as for the team. It is important to me that we put the collective first and rather forget about individual egos. We need a strong team of leaders both on the board and on the sporting side of things in order to direct us down the right path. Our football then plays a key role in that regard.

Can you expand on that?
A successful football team is built on the foundation of a plan with a clear structure. The approach for each game obviously has to be altered somewhat depending on which players are best suited to face the opponent but a clear hierarchy is needed for that. On top of that, hard work is essential, with every task tackled head on and with full commitment. These principles should then be directly applied to the business off the pitch as well. A clear idea of what Schalke stands for both on and off the pitch is needed and I believe that already exists. The job now is to alter the structures in place and implement them in a consistent fashion. My task is to work hard and passionately. I am sure of the fact that we have many committed people working at this club and the support from the fans is something that can never be questioned.

You will begin in your new role on 1st June. Why was this date selected and what is your plan of action up until then?
It would have been misguided to try and change the processes that are already in place right before the season run-in and detract focus from the final six games of the campaign. Furthermore, not having that day-to-day work to concentrate on just yet means I can hold a number of talks over the coming weeks. I already got a good sense from those I spoke to at the club of late as well as others associated with Schalke. I did not just converse with those currently involved in the goings-on but also with people formerly at the club and those in Schalke’s wider network. That allowed me to create a fuller image of both what Schalke stands for and is defined by. I can now enhance that understanding over the following weeks. I am also looking forward to 1st June, when we can officially begin our work together and really get cracking. There are no doubts in my mind that we will experience a positive period together in which we will be able to celebrate collective success.