Schalke 04 have made the worst start to a Bundesliga season in the club’s history after Sunday’s 2-1 loss at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, their fifth straight league defeat.
The latest setback piles the pressure on Schalke’s new coach Markus Weinzierl.
His side are the only club to still have no points in Germany’s top flight.
Photo: EPA
“I don’t know where the problem lies,” Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann said after his defense did him no favors in Hoffenheim. “We’re in a situation where words fail me. Nothing is working up front and at the back, we are making simple mistakes. It’s getting worse from week to week.”
Having been recruited from Augsburg at the start of the season, while sports director Christian Heidel was poached from FSV Mainz 05, Weinzierl has endured a disastrous start.
“It’s not down to him and I very much hope that all the people involved here support him”, Schalke captain Benedikt Hoewedes said. “We need to stand together, as men, and improve.”
Werder Bremen’s 2-1 win over VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday, with both of their goals coming in the final five minutes, had seen Schalke take Bremen’s place at the bottom of the table.
With Germany coach Joachim Loew watching, Schalke looked to be on course for their first league points of the season after taking a fourth-minute lead at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
Swiss striker Breel Embolo — who has so far failed to justify the 22 million euros (US$24.5 million) Schalke paid Basel for him — fired in a cross which striker Eric Choupo-Moting headed home at the far post, but Hoffenheim drew level when Croatian striker Andrej Kramaric, signed from Leicester City, headed them level on 17 minutes.
Midfielder Lukas Rupp slotted home what proved to be the winning goal when his shot beat Faehrmann on 41 minutes after the Schalke defenders had given the ball away in their own half.
Hamburg SV sacked coach Bruno Labbadia on Sunday after their 1-0 defeat to leaders Bayern Munich, their fourth straight loss which left them 16th, and Weinzierl is now the next boss sweating about his future with Schalke two places below and rock bottom.
They next play a UEFA Europa League group match at home to Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday, then face Borussia Moenchengladbach at home on Sunday in the Bundesliga.
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