2024-10-06 06:05:25
FC Schalke 04 has apparently found a new coach. Kees van Wonderen should lead the Gelsenkirchen team back to success.
New man on the sidelines for FC Schalke 04: As “Bild” and the pay TV broadcaster Sky report, Kees van Wonderen will take over the Ruhrpott club. Footage from the top game against Hertha BSC on Saturday evening shows the Dutchman with the Schalke bosses in the box of the Veltins Arena.
Van Wonderen will be Karel Geraerts’ successor. The Belgian was released from Schalke two weeks ago after the disastrous 3-5 home defeat in which the “Knappen” lost a 3-0 lead. U23 coach Jakob Fimpel looked after the team at the away game in Münster last week and the game against Hertha.
Schalke’s new coach most recently coached SC Heerenveen in the Netherlands (2022 to 2024). He also worked with the U17 and U18 national teams of his home country. He became European champion with the U17 in 2018.
Van Wonderen also assisted bond coach Ronald Koeman as an assistant coach between 2018 and 2019. He was then responsible for the Go Ahead Eagles Deventer. With the club he achieved promotion to the Dutch Eredivisie in 2021.
As a player, van Wonderen was particularly successful during his time at Feyenoord Rotterdam. The now 55-year-old and his team became Dutch champions in 1999, and in 2002 the former defender won the UEFA Cup, today’s Europa League. In the final, Feyenoord beat Schalke’s arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund 3-2.
As an active professional, van Wonderen also made five international appearances for the Netherlands.