By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- An unusual action by fans might be the most alarming sign when it comes to the crisis of one of Germany's iconic clubs.
Losing the seventh game this season, Schalke 04 in the second division seems to be trapped in a fatal downward trend. Only a year after the club's relegation from the first tier, the doors for a free fall to the third tier seem wide open.
While being crushed 3-0 in Karlsruhe, the side's loyal fans stopped support and wrapped up their flags at halftime. With stony faces, players gathered in front of their supporters. After being booed off the pitch before, a painful verbal punishment followed.
Having changed the coaching from Thomas Reis to Karel Geraerts didn't cause relief. The 41-year-old Belgian admitted to having raised his voice already at halftime, "for the first time in my career."
The former Royale Union Saint Gilloise coach admitted facing the assumed biggest challenge of his career.
A fatal constant change of coaches and playing staff seems to have increased the crisis of one of the country's most popular clubs.
Fans and former players seem united in concern about the future of the financially burdened side.
Club icon and former German international Klaus Fischer spoke of a "highly dangerous situation we can hardly escape."
Having amassed a debt of up to 200 million euros, the club is forced to run its professional squad on a low flame, while the way back to happiness seems stonier than expected.
The failed attempt to play a significant role in national and international football increased the malaise.
Past success seems to cloud a realistic view of the club's decreased status after shrinking down to an under-average performer having spoiled 12 coaches since 2016 and 31 since 2002.
In 2011, the Royal Blues reached the Champions League semi-finals and the last 16 in 2018. Schalke ended up as league second that year and seemed on the way to establish itself among the leading sides.
Schalke's story to some extent is the story of overly high expectations and risky management decisions that failed.
"We need to face reality and that is battling against relegation," defender Timo Baumgartl said while coach Geraerts skipped free days after having changed tactics and the line-up.
While the club is said to count on the third-highest season budget in the second tier, the sportive harvest is running short.
Stuck in a new deep crisis, collecting as many points as possible to launch a reset in the winter break has become a desperate concept for the five-time German Cup winner and 1997 Euro League winner.
But at present, glory seems a thing of the past as Geraerts frankly mentions his teams' difficulties.
"We need to face the fact. And they tell us we will fail if we don't intensify our efforts on the pitch when it comes to a robust approach and running figures," the coach stated. ■
