According to Tasnim news agency, Schalke officially announced that Mark Wilmots has been chosen as the sports director of this German team by signing a long-term contract. In 2019, the former head coach of the Belgian national team was also in charge of the Iranian national team for a short time. He played for Schalke between 1996 and 2000 and 2001 to 2003, and in 2003 he temporarily managed this German team for a short time (8 games).
Matthias Thielmann, executive director of Schalke club, said about this appointment: We were able to attract a man to Schalke who knows the business of football from different perspectives and knows how a successful team should be. As coach of the Belgian national football team, Wilmots worked like a manager and developed all areas around the team sustainably. This is exactly what we expect from him at Schalke. Thanks to Mark’s proximity to the coach and the team, he can also sense potential team dynamics at an early stage. This is the only way that we can identify adverse developments in time and correct them if necessary.
Wilmots also stated: I am impatiently waiting to start my new job. Schalke is a very special club for me, with which I celebrated great success as a player. Now I want to be at the forefront of this club’s movement that gives Schalke new strength and shapes a successful future. We will achieve this only if every focused and professional person works on a daily basis. Then we can inspire our fans by providing attractive and powerful football and ultimately succeed.
Schalke is currently in the 14th place in the 18-team Bundesliga “2” table.