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Schalke 04: Katic demands team spirit after two defeats – what now?
Karlsruhe beat Schalke 04 2-1. Nikola Katic emphasizes player responsibility while the 2nd Bundesliga remains exciting.
Schalke 04: Katic demands team spirit after two defeats – what now?
FC Schalke 04 started the second Bundesliga with a breath of fresh air and new challenges. Nikola Katic, who joined the team in the summer of 2025, has become the team's mouthpiece. After two bitter defeats - a 0:4 in the DFB Cup against Darmstadt and a 1:2 against Karlsruher SC - he demands more responsibility from his experienced teammates, especially from himself, Kenan Karaman and Loris Karius. “It's a marathon, not a sprint,” emphasizes Katic and sees the current setbacks not as a crisis, but as part of the long process that the club is going through.
After eleven competitive games in which Schalke only lost twice, the team is currently in second place in the table. This shows that the basic shape is correct, even if we now have to get back on track. The next opponent, SV Elversberg, is only one place behind Schalke and will be a real test.
Injury concerns and returnees
Despite the recent defeats, there was also positive news from the training camp. Hasan Kurucay, the team's defensive veteran, returns to training after a short-term illness. Katic, who recently played with the Bosnian national team, felt a bit tired during preparation but was otherwise injury-free. It's all about intelligent load control - a smart step to ensure long-term fitness.
The glorious history of Schalke 04
To understand the background of the club, it is worth taking a look at the long and eventful history of FC Schalke 04. The club was founded in 1904 by a group of students and initially adopted the colors red and yellow. After several mergers and a renaming to today's club colors blue and white, Schalke established itself as one of the leading clubs in German football.
The club enjoyed its heyday in the 1930s with 11 championships and 10 national titles. But there were also difficult times: After the Second World War, Schalke found itself in midfield for a long time. It wasn't until 1997, when they won the UEFA Cup against Inter Milan, that the "Euro Fighters" really got back on track. The 2000s were also marked by success, with two DFB Cup victories in 2001 and 2002.
However, the last few years have been turbulent: After relegation to the 2nd Bundesliga in 2021 and another relegation relegation in 2023, Schalke continues to fight for its future. The financial situation remains tense, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated losses. In October 2023, Karel Geraerts was hired as the new coach to bring a breath of fresh air into the team.
The coming weeks will show whether Katic and his teammates can turn things around and lead Schalke out of their current phase. The goal remains clear: back to the Bundesliga!