Reis slams entire team apart from Fährmann after loss

FC Schalke 04 trainer Thomas Reis found clear words to describe his team’s performance in a crucial relegation battle loss to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Sunday. 

homas Reis didn’t mince words when addressing the loss that sent his team back to the bottom of the Bundesliga table on Easter Sunday. The Gelsenkircheners made the fight for survival much more difficult with a 0-2 defeat away at Hoffenheim. Reis cut straight to heart of the matter, accusing his players of playing without passion.

“When you talk about the fight against relegation, I’ve only saw one team that was invested in it and that was Hoffenheim,” Reis told German broadcaster DAZN, “The first half was not worthy of a relegation battle. We were far too well-behaved in the first half. Hoffenheim got two yellow cards. We got none. We don’t want to encourage the lads to foul, but you have to present yourself much more in the duels.”

“That was totally subpar [subterranean] today,” Reis continued, using the German word “unterirdsich” in something of a double-meaning for a team associated with a blue-collar mining past, “We’ll be working on that. Apart from keeper Ralf Fährmann, no one really delivered today.”

Schalke now face a very short turnaround week before having to face Hertha BSC in another critical relegation six-pointer on Friday. Fährmann himself described the matchday 28 curtain-raiser as a “Final”. Another loss against a relegation rival could potentially bury Schalke’s survival hopes.

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