Sports director Rouven Schröder is leaving the Bundesliga club Schalke 04 with immediate effect. As the club announced on Wednesday, Schröder had informed the board that he would like to leave the club for personal reasons before the contract expires.
The club management with Bernd Schröder, Christina Rühl-Hamers and Peter Knäbel complied with this request.
"Rouven has rendered services to the club, the importance of which will perhaps only be fully measured and appreciated by the public in a few years' time," said sporting director Knäbel: "Without the work of Rouven Schröder, FC Schalke 04 would no longer be in its usual form give."
After relegation a year and a half ago, Schröder had turned the team inside out under great pressure to save, thus creating the basis for immediate promotion.
Due to financial problems, however, he was forced to organize another major change in personnel after his return to the Bundesliga.
The commitment of coach Frank Kramer turned out to be a mistake, the former Bielefeld coach was fired a week ago.
Schalke fell to last place in the table, Schröder has not yet been able to present a successor to Kramer.
"The decision to leave Schalke 04 was anything but easy for me," said the 47-year-old: "We experienced 18 extremely intense months together." His duties will be taken over by sports director Knäbel until further notice.