Schalke team manager Gerald Asamoah
Schalke team manager Gerald Asamoah was left in tears as his beloved club was relegated to the second tier following a 1-0 defeat away to Arminia Bielefeld.
The Royal Blues, who were Bundesliga runners-up as recently as 2018, have only won two league games since January 2020, and their fate was sealed on Tuesday night with four games remaining.
For Schalke, it’s long been a question of when and not if.
The club from Gelsenkirchen in western Germany have endured a miserable 15 months with five different head coaches, high-profile resignations, negative headlines, supporter protests and existential financial problems exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis.
“I don’t feel good and I can imagine how Schalke fans are crying in front of the TV right now,” said tearful Schalke team manager Gerald Asamoah.
Gerald Asamoah, a former player now on the staff at Schalke told Sky:
“We knew what was coming but when it happens and you realise it’s over, it’s brutal.
“If you’re last in the table, have 13 points… If someone says they gave it everything… I don’t know what I would do with this person.”
“We’re all disappointed and each of us must question ourselves,” added the former Germany striker.
As they plummet into the second division for the first time since 1991, Schalke are saddled with €217 million ($257.8m) of liabilities.