Sammer verrät: "Tönnies wollte mich zu Schalke holen"

After his coaching position in Dortmund from 2000 to 2004 and his position as sports director at FC Bayern Munich  from 2012 to 2016, Matthias Sammer is now back at BVB as an external consultant. A job behind the scenes as Sammer had to quit at Bayern due to a stroke. But as the 51-year-old now tells Eurosport , Clemens Tönnies tried several times to get Sammer to  FC Schalke.

"I think it's extremely important for the region and for German football that Schalke exist. The club, the fan potential, the emotionality are simply outstanding for the league,” enthuses Sammer about the Royal Blues. Nevertheless, he rejected Tönnies' offer at the time - he can no longer say why. The master trainer from 2002 also allegedly does not remember when this offer came up.

The 1996 European champion also commented on Schalke's current situation. For him, the Gelsenkircheners belong at the top of the Bundesliga because of their tradition alone. "They have a young coach who needs support now. Especially after leaving Christian Heidel, it is necessary to organize the day-to-day work in connection with the coaches in this way that there is still stability despite the difficult situation," recommends Sammer, who acted as DFB sports manager for six years, to the S04 managers.

Last season's runners-up is currently in 14th place in the Bundesliga table. The first consequences demanded the current situation last weekend. Manager Christian Heidel announced his retirement from the club , leaving one of coach Tedesco's greatest supporters.