Visibly depressed and with the realism of an experienced professional, Sandro Schwarz assessed his personal situation after falling to last place in the table with Hertha BSC. The 44-year-old coach was asked after the 2: 5 at FC Schalke 04 how worried he was about personal job consequences. “I’m not worried about that,” Schwarz said. “It’s legitimate, it’s also the club’s responsibility to think about it.”

And that’s what those responsible for the Berlin Bundesliga team, which is threatened with relegation, also intend to do. “After a 2: 5 we will not have a personnel discussion here directly on site. But it is also clear that we will go home and analyze the situation completely,” said sports director Benjamin Weber in the catacombs of the Gelsenkirchen Arena. He avoided a clear commitment to black. One option for a change of coach could be club icon Pal Dardai, who has already coached the Berliners twice.

The club thirsts for continuity and stability, emphasized Weber and said: “Of course it’s also a bit the case that the coach is the poorest sow at the moment when you see the defensive behavior.”

Schwarz doesn’t feel left hanging by his team. “I don’t feel let down,” he said. “We just made too many mistakes today.” He took responsibility for his team’s very bitter performance and also said: “I know what we invest in the coaching team every day. The work we do and unfortunately you don’t see it in the result. It’s frustrating.”

Schalke were anything but frustrated after the enormously important success in the close race to stay in the class. The at least temporary jump to the relegation place should give an additional boost in the end of the season. “It was very, very important for us. It was a game where there was a lot of pressure,” said coach Thomas Reis, whose team looked almost certain to be relegated after the first half of the season. “If we’re in the race to stay up on the last day of the game, then we’ve achieved a lot.”

However, Reis is worried about three regular players. Goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann had to be replaced due to injury in the first half. “With Ralle it was a muscular story. You have to wait and see,” said Reis. “I think it will be very close until Sunday.” Next week Sunday Schalke plays at SC Freiburg.

In addition to ferryman, Reis had to make two more substitutions due to injuries. Reis said of goalscorer Tim Skarke and defender Cédric Brunner: “Tim Skarke’s is a flesh wound. It didn’t look that good. Cédric, as of now, didn’t have his shoulder out or anything. He’s, I think, fell on the shoulder in a duel. You have to wait and see.”