Schalke appoint Breitenreiter

Posted Saturday, June 13, 2015 by Foxsports.com

Schalke have appointed former Paderborn boss Andre Breitenreiter as their new head coach.

Breitenreiter arrives on a two-year deal to replace Roberto Di Matteo, who resigned last month after Schalke finished an underwhelming sixth in the Bundesliga.

Schalke had also approached Markus Weinzierl of Augsburg and Belgium coach Marc Wilmots, but both reportedly declined the offer.

"We are very happy to have found the right head coach for FC Schalke 04 in the form of Andre Breitenreiter," Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt told the club's website.

"After Roberto Di Matteo's departure, I emphasised what I expect from a new coach: Attractive and passionate attacking football and a team spirit that enthuses our own fans."

The 41-year-old, who played for the likes of Hannover, Hamburg and Wolfsburg in the 1990s, arrives from Paderborn, the unfashionable club who he led to promotion to the top flight a year ago but could not keep in the Bundesliga in the season just finished.

Schalke will have to buy out Breitenreiter's contract for an undisclosed sum.

Di Matteo had only been appointed last October but failed to achieve his primary objective of securing Champions League qualification.