Frank Baumann: Focus has to be on the everyday work

Frank Baumann on …

… his start at Schalke:
Today is my official start date, but I have already been involved in much of the goings-on over the past few weeks and have been able to use the time since signing to hold many talks with current and former Schalke players. This has provided me with a detailed overview of what makes Schalke tick and what we need to tackle and change together. The Schalke club principles form the basis for our medium-term strategy, which we want to implement as a collective.

… discussions with club figures:
I am convinced that we can work as a unit to put together the structures in order to be successful. The people I work with are always important to me. The discussions with the supervisory board, headed up by Axel Hefer, Matthias Tillmann and Christina Rühl-Hamers, were very positive, taking place on a foundation of trust at the same time, so I immediately came away with a good feeling.

… collaboration with Ben Manga and Youri Mulder:
I’ve spoken to both of them several times over the past few weeks and have gained a very good impression of both Ben and Youri. They complement each other well. It is important that everyone has their role at the club and contributes to the success of FC Schalke 04 in the best possible way by providing their own strengths. Ben’s specialty lies in scouting, while Youri serves as primary contact within the senior side for the coach, team, staff and media. We need a common mindset at the club in order to produce the best possible performance on and off the pitch.

… Schalke’s style of play going forward:
A more broken-down, passive brand of football does not work at Schalke. S04’s history is characterised by two approaches, those being a working mentality and a Schalker attitude. We want to see a team out on that pitch who live for football and play with courage, embodying team spirit and going about things ambitiously with the intention of winning every game. I don’t want to make a big thing about working hard, though – for me, hard work is one of the basics of football.

… the selection process regarding a new head coach:
The head coach has the most influence on sporting performance. He is the key to delivering the football we stand for at Schalke on the pitch. Based on this, we began our search with a profile in mind. It was important to us that our coach should have a range of different skills and combine these in his day-to-day work, encompassing expertise and communication skills, as well as leadership and sociability. A shortlist of our frontrunners was drawn up following many interviews in a wide variety of set-ups and much analysis. We got to know these candidates better in person and to make a further assessment of them.

The fact that the new head coach has experience in Germany’s second division was of secondary importance in our search profile. Before Kees van Wonderen and Karel Geraerts, Schalke had a lot of coaches who had already worked in Germany, and in many cases that didn’t really work out. It was more important to us that the head coach fits in with our idea of how we want to play, that he can inspire players and help improve their game, has a clear way of doing things and can also work through challenges. In the end, Miron Muslic was our clear choice. I have been following his journey very closely for three and a half years. Ben and Youri have also obviously been looking at him for some time.

… squad planning:
There is definitely quality in the squad that we currently have at our disposal. I also notice players who have not been playing to their full potential in recent years for a variety of reasons. We need to help tease out those last few per cent. However, we will not begin the season with the same squad as that on the pitch at the start of training. There will be both arrivals and departures between now and the conclusion of the transfer window. We want to add quality to our ranks with new signings. In Timo Becker, we have already been able to secure the services of an important figure in the spine of the team. Others will follow. On the side of things, one or two players will also leave because we are dependent on producing certain transfer income. This approach to squad planning is nothing new for me, since I worked in the same way in Bremen for many years.

… the significance of the coach and transfer decisions:
The coach is the most important role for me in sport, but he cannot wield the most power. Nevertheless, I would never sign a player that the coach does not want to have, since that would be doomed to fail from the outset. We need to ensure that everyone is thinking along the same lines via the means of positive preparation and clarity regarding player profiles.

… the target for the upcoming season:
After two years of battling against relegation, we should remain humble while possessing maximum ambition at the same time. Focus has to be on the everyday work in training. That is the decisive factor. We need a clear plan that we can consistently implement together.

… the emotion surrounding Schalke:
Football is an emotional sport but perhaps even more so at Schalke than elsewhere. However, my job is to look at the processes objectively and soberly and ensure that we stick to our strategy. We need less talk and more action to carry on down the path we have chosen. Success will then materialise in the mid-term.