S04 legend Marc Wilmots talks to bundesliga.de about Schalke's season, the old and the new coach and his player of the season.
bundesliga.de: Moster Wilmots, Jermaine Jones, your successor as “battle pig” at Schalke, has been axed from the German squad for the EURO 2008. Do you understand the decision?
Marc Wilmots: There have been deficult decisions all around. France have axed Djibril Cisse, for example. That shows how strong the squad is. The coach has to look who fits into the team and make his decision. Jermaine Jones is a good player, but he has little international experience.
bundesliga.de: Do you fear that the decision might have a negative effect on Jones, with negative consequences for Schalke?
Wilmots: No. This is like a lost match. It's a blow you have to recover from - always. That's football! Of course it's a tough decision for Jones, but who would have thought that a call-up would come so soon anyway? You have to see the positives, too. He had a superb season and now has to set himself new goals, for example a title with Schalke and a regular place in the national team.
bundesliga.de: How do you rate Schalke's season?
Wilmots: The performance in the Champions League was impressive. But they had the goal of being involved in the Bundesliga title race, and they weren't. They had a poor spell. They finished third and Champions League participation isn't secured yet. But they've got that chance, so they have accomplished their minimum goal.
bundesliga.de: Was it a good decision to part ways with Mirko Slomka after 28 games?
Wilmots: That's hard to say from outside. Slomka was successful and finished second in 2006/07. In the second half of the season he experienced a difficult situation for the first time and had to go. That had been different with Huub Stevens back then. He too had difficult spells, but he always had the club's support and that enabled him to lead S04 back to success.
bundesliga.de: And what about the decision to establish Mike Büskens and Youri Mulder as interim coaches?
Wilmots: That was exactly the right decision at the right time. I immediately sent sporting director Andreas Müller a text message saying “well done”. These two lads are Schalke with heart and soul and - as players - helped to build what Schalke is today.
bundesliga.de: New Schalke coach Fred Rutten is relatively unknown in Germany. What do you think of him?
Wilmots: Huub Stevens was unknown too when Schalke signed him from Kerkrade. And he brought a lot of success. You have to wait and see, but I trust Andreas Müller and the Schalke board. It has to be a good decision if they made it. The minimum goal for next season, a top 3 finish, shouldn't be a problem.
bundesliga.de: Which Schalke player was the most positive surprise for you last season?
Wilmots: Every player had a good spell last season, but I'd go for Marcelo Bordon. He is the key performer and made the right decisions in pressure situations. He stabilised the defence with his experience. Jermaine Jones was excellent in the first half of the season. Heiko Westermann too was a big surprise for me with his mentality and his willingness to run. These two have good prospects.
Interview: Denis Huber / Translation: Christof Greiner
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