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Domenico Tedesco: "I’m glad I can be part of it"
Champions League football is returning to Gelsenkirchen for the first time in 1288 days. On Tuesday, the 18th September, one of the first games of the Champions League season sees Schalke take on FC Porto in the VELTINS-Arena. Tickets for the match against the Portuguese champions are still available and the west and east ticket offices will open at 18:30 CEST on matchday.

„It will be a fantastic occasion for Schalke and I’m glad I can be part of it,“ said head coach Domenico Tedesco, who, along with sporting director Christian Heidel and several players, will be hearing the famous anthem as Champions League participants for the first time.
Three consecutive defeats in the Bundesliga have taken nothing away from Domenico Tedesco’s excitement ahead of the Champions League. „Obviously the recent results are playing on our mind, but the Champions League is a fresh start for us and we have earned the right to play these games with our performances last season,“ he explained.
Respect for UCL regulars
Tedesco expressed a great deal of respect for Tuesday night’s opponents: „FC Porto are always in the Champions League.“ In fact, the Portuguese ‘Dragons’ are in the group stage of the competition for the 23rd time since its introduction in 1992/93, putting them in the top three of that category alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The Champions League is a fresh start for us.
Tedesco and his coaching colleagues have analysed the 28-time Portuguese champions’ style of play extensively. Their findings back up the head coach’s opinion that FC Porto go into the Champions League group as slight favourites.
„Our opponents are always compact, whether that’s in a 4-4-2, or a 4-2-3-1 formation. They have two big strikers with a real presence in the box which makes them especially dangerous from crosses,“ said the 33-year-old: „Their style of play is comparable with that of Atletico Madrid,“ he added. Tedesco has admitted, however, that he has detected a number of weaknesses in Sergio Conceicao’s team, „but I won’t say what those are, otherwise the opposition will know how we’re going to set up.“
Konoplyanka is an option
Yevhen Konoplyanka will be an option for Tedesco on Tuesday. The Ukraine international was unavailable for the last game in Mönchengladbach through suspension. Aside from that, not much has changed in terms of personnel. „Fortunately there haven’t been any more injuries,“ said the boss.