Max Meyer will no longer take part in first team training

Max Meyer will no longer participate in first team training or feature for the club this season. His contract at FC Schalke 04 runs out at the end of the season. “My impression for a long time was that Max felt at home here. That’s what he expressed to the coaching staff,” explained the head coach, Domenico Tedesco. “I’m disappointed at his personal attacks and can’t fully understand them as they simply don’t add up.”

Sporting director, Christian Heidel, was of a similar view: “We can’t tolerate such statements and such behaviour. We’re upset more by his accusations of bulling, which we strongly deny, than his untrue allegations. Schalke 04 have always behaved correctly to Max Meyer.”

In recent weeks, head coach Domenico Tedesco and assistant coach Peter Perchtold wanted to fathom the cause of Meyer’s dip in performance in training and in games. One of Meyer’s key statements was that he was finished at FC Schalke 04 after the game versus Hamburger SV earlier this month. In that game, he was substituted at half-time. Christian Heidel invited the player to discuss his future given the circumstances today but Meyer rejected the invitation.

FC Schalke 04 stand firm

Neither sporting director Christian Heidel nor head coach Domenico Tedesco asked Max Meyer to find a new club after the expiry of his current deal on July 1^st 2017. It is true that head coach Tedesco conducted an appraisal with the players before the start of the season regarding their perspective. He established that Max Meyer’s prospects in an attacking role could be more limited but, as a consequence of his performances in training, Meyer was given a new role as a regular in holding midfield. Meyer has featured in 28 of Schalke’s 37 games this season and 66 of a possible 87 since the summer of 2016.

Last Wednesday, Max Meyer had to leave training earlier due to a foot injury but rejected a MRI examination. As Meyer hasn’t trained with the team since then, he was not available for the game versus Borussia Mönchengladbach last weekend.