Latest event, a turning point for FC Schalke - board
VIDEO SHOWS: SCHALKE SPORTS DIRECTOR JOCHEN SCHNEIDER, MARKETING DIRECTOR ALEXANDER JOBST AND COACH DAVID WAGNER AT NEWS CONFERENCE
RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT
SHOWS: GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY (JULY 01, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. SCHALKE SPORTS DIRECTOR JOCHEN SCHNEIDER, MARKETING DIRECTOR ALEXANDER JOBST AND COACH DAVID WAGNER ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE AND SITTING DOWN
2. MEDIA
3. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
4. (SOUNDBITE) (German) SCHALKE SPORTS DIRECTOR, JOCHEN SCHNEIDER, SAYING:
"Yesterday we were surprised by the news that president Clemens Toennies would step down as chairman of the association's supervisory board with immediate effect. We announced it yesterday in a press release. First of all, we would like to thank him for the work he has done over the past 26 years. He led the club with a lot of passion, with a lot of commitment and with foresight. He represents the implementation of many large projects such as the construction of the beautiful Veltins Arena."
5. VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
6. (SOUNDBITE) (German) SCHALKE SPORTS DIRECTOR, JOCHEN SCHNEIDER, SAYING:
"The licensed budget for players is the biggest lever. I already had the feeling that the image of FC Schalke 04 out there was not what we deserved here, and we have to set ourselves guidelines and have to adhere to them. We have a responsibility towards the association and we have to be sustainable when it comes to business."
7. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
8. (SOUNDBITE) (German) SCHALKE MARKETING DIRECTOR, ALEXANDER JOBST, SAYING:
"At the same time, today is a turning point for FC Schalke 04. The Schalke 04 we know today will not and cannot go on."
9. VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
10. (SOUNDBITE) (German) SCHALKE MARKETING DIRECTOR, ALEXANDER JOBST, SAYING:
"We cannot realistically make the assumption that we will reach a European tournament in the next few years by reducing our staff budget. That doesn't rule out the fact that we can achieve that goal with a great performance. But we have to adjust our goals realistically, in the short and in the medium term."
11. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
12. MEDIA
13. (SOUNDBITE) (German) SCHALKE COACH, DAVID WAGNER, SAYING:
"In addition, maybe everyone will accept that now that we have to make employees redundant, with humility and modesty we can say that yes, we are Schalke 04, but we are no longer the FC Schalke 04 we were ten years ago. A clear objective, but also a clear idea of how we want to implement it and which it has in terms of sport. Of course, we now have to make very, very good transfer decisions with a limited budget in order to put together a team that is once again able to play football at our standard. And that is our view."
14. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
STORY: Members of the Schalke 04 board said on Wednesday (July 01) the latest events were a turning point for the club after chairman Clemens Toennies on Tuesday stepped down after 19 years amid a COVID-19 outbreak at one of his meat factories and a dismal Bundesliga season for the club.
Fans had been demanding Toennies, a billionaire meat producer, to resign for months with the team in free fall after the winter break.
He had already infuriated many supporters last year with comments that were ruled as 'racist' by the German FA and he stepped down voluntarily for three months at the time.
Schalke finished in 12th place in the Bundesliga last week, missing out on European football after setting a club record of 16 straight league games without a win.
"Today is a turning point for FC Schalke 04. The Schalke 04 we know today will not and cannot go on," said the club's marketing director Alexander Jobst at a news conference.
Schalke havent's won a German championship title since 1958.
(Production: Stephane Nietschke, Elena Gyldenkerne)
