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In a more than depressing Friday evening game, Schalke finally proved that the quality is not enough for the Bundesliga.

After the 0-0 win against the penultimate Mainz 04, the last remaining glimmer of hope that they would stay up in the league died out.

In addition to the inability to play, what also made me think about it were the obvious fitness deficits of the former top club.

While Mainz tried everything again in the second half, the Royal Blues were no longer physically competitive.

"It was of course a very intense game," Grammozis replied diplomatically to the obvious question about fitness, without having to criticize his predecessors immediately after his first game.

One noticed that one or the other of the battery had been empty.

You couldn't expect miracles after two days anyway.

Cramps in the closing stages

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From the 70th minute, a total of five Schalke players rolled on the lawn with cramps, two had to be replaced.

With the recently dismissed Werner Leuthard, the Schalke team are said to have had one of the most merciless fitness trainers in their coaching staff.

And overburdening through appearances in European competitions has become a utopia in Gelsenkirchen.

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After the final whistle, Suat Serdar let it be known between the lines that there had obviously been deficits in training over the past few weeks.

"The coach will still work a lot with us so that we can look better in the last few minutes," said Serdar of Grammozis, who followed Christian Gross who was shot last Sunday.

The statements of the midfielder lead to the question of what the previous four coaches of this disastrous season have trained since the summer break.

“We would have needed the three points.

The positive thing is, we played to zero, we have to take that with us, ”Serdar looked for the tiny success stories in the Schalke game.

The reality is: With ten points, Schalke remains behind last and after 24 games is at least eight points behind a non-relegation place.

Ferryman praises system change

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“We can be satisfied with the first half an hour, then we gave up the game.

We can be lucky to take a point with us.

Of course that's not enough, ”said Sead Kolasinac at DAZN.

Nevertheless, the captain also saw a positive effect of the change in coach: "A few weeks ago we would probably have lost this game."

Another Schalke tried to spread optimism.

“He is very motivating in his speech.

He gives fire, ”said Schalke's injured goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann at half-time.

However, even Grammozis was unable to convey playful miracles to his team, which had been severely weakened.

The former coach of SV Darmstadt 98 had tried, among other things, with a switch to a three-way chain in defense and the surprising Bundesliga debut of Kerim Calhanoglu.

"The system change is good for us," said Fährmann, to the general astonishment.

Because the level of play was terrible.

Schalke's coach Dimitrios Grammozis (left) and Gerald Asamoah, Schalke's new team manager, examine their players

Source: dpa / Guido Kirchner