Danny Latza stands down as Schalke captain

The Gelsenkirchen-born midfielder, who was captain when the Royal Blues were promoted in 2021/22, explained: “This wasn’t an easy decision for me to make. Everybody knows how much the club means to me and how much of an honour it was for me to wear the armband. Being able to captain one of the biggest clubs in Europe was a privilege.”

Latza nevertheless felt it was time to take this step. “I have the feeling that this change will provide the team with a fresh impetus. I have always got on well with the coach, which is why I went straight to Thomas after making this decision and told him that I would be standing down,” he said.

Head coach Thomas Reis believes this decision just underlines Latza’s fantastic character: “Danny has a real awareness for the situation. By stepping down as captain, he wants to stop the focus being placed on who wears the armband instead of our overall aims as a team. He has put aside his ego and placed the most importance on the team, the exact thing a true captain would do. He will continue to be an important player both on and off the pitch for the other players and for me, there’s no doubt about that.”

André Hechelmann agrees with his head coach: “I’m really impressed by Danny’s decision. Leading Schalke out to the pitch as captain was always really emotional for him as someone born in Gelsenkirchen and as an academy product of the Knappenschmiede,” explained the sporting director. “The fact that he came to us and gave Thomas Reis the chance to provide a fresh impetus with a new captain just shows how mature he is. I’m certain that Danny will still play an important role in the coming season.”

The 33-year-old has a clear plan for the 2023/24 season: “Everybody knows our goal for this season. We want to have a successful campaign together, spurred on by the wonderful support of our fans. I will give my all towards this target.”

The club will announce the new captain in due course.