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Youri Mulder takes up interim position as director of professional football
In order to provide additional support for the club's first-team set up over the coming months, FC Schalke 04 have recruited Youri Mulder to fill the role of director of professional football on an interim basis. The former Royal Blue will step back from his current position on the club's supervisory board in order to take up this new role. The 55-year-old will officially assume this role during the upcoming international break and will work closely with Ben Manga, director of squad planning, scouting and the Knappenschmiede academy.
“We have come to the conclusion that we should fill the current vacancy in our sporting management team on an interim basis, in order to provide the best possible support for our first-team set up. Looking ahead to the coming weeks, Youri is the best candidate for the job, in our opinion,” explained Matthias Tillmann, CEO of FC Schalke 04. “He brings an expansive knowledge and understanding of football, as well as decades of experience in professional football to the table and will therefore be able to get started straight away. His positive energy will also usher in an improved dynamic in our dressing room.”
He brings an expansive knowledge and understanding of football, as well as decades of experience in professional football to the table and will therefore be able to get started straight away. His positive energy will also usher in an improved dynamic in our dressing room.
Mulder will fill the position until a decision on a permanent replacement has been made. His core responsibilities will be to serve as a point of contact for the coaching staff and the team, as well as managing the various departments amongst the backroom staff. “Youri will serve as a point of contact for the staff in order to be able to provide them with directions and support, particularly in areas that intersect,” said Tillmann.
Mulder is prepared to take up the position, saying, “I knew immediately that I wanted to help out. We know the situation we currently find ourselves in, and we’re facing up to it. To make it clear: We are convinced that we will achieve a turnaround together with Kees van Wonderen. I am doing so in internal discussions and also in discussions with the public.”
Mulder began his professional career at FC Twente, before joining FC Schalke 04 in 1993. He won the UEFA Cup with the Royal Blues in 1997, before ending his playing career in 2002. He later took up a role as an assistant coach with the club and has been a co-opted member of Schalke’s supervisory board since 2021.
The search for a permanent replacement for the position continues. It remains to be seen at which hierarchical level the new person will join the team at. “There are several different options that are a possibility, for example, continuing to keep the position on the director level, but also the reintroduction of a sporting director. We will make this dependent on the candidates available to us that are interested in joining Schalke. This will be done in consultation between the supervisory and executive boards,” said Axel Hefer, chairman of the supervisory board.
