Horst Heldt was grateful for the congratulations that he got on his 45th birthday but Schalke 04's sporting director would much rather celebrate a win on Wednesday night: "I am optimistic that we will get it done," said the manager before flying out to Maribor for their final game which will decide the club's future in Europe. The match on Wednesday in the Champions League's smallest stadium will be like a final for the team that are currently in fourth place in the Bundesliga.
The knockout stages, the Europa League or nothing
"It's an all-or-nothing game," said Heldt before Schalke made their way to Slovenia on Flight DE9236 with the wind between their sails following three league wins in a row. "In the last few years we have always got it right," said the manager.
This time, however, many things are different. The game will not be played in one of the largest stadiums in Europe but in the 'Ljudski vrt', the 'people's garden', which only holds 12,000 fans. Six of Schalke's players are worth more than the entire squad of the twelve-time Slovenian champions.
Help from Chelsea is necessary
A win on its own might not be enough for Schalke to stay in the Champions League, as rivals Sporting Lisbon must also lose against Chelsea, who have already won the group. "We need to get the job done and then hope," said coach Roberto Di Matteo, who knows about the Champions League finals in a very different context. In 2012, he triumphed with Chelsea in Munich and took home the trophy.
The Italian is trying to finish in second place behind his ex-club Chelsea: "According to my information, they will make a few changes but even then they still have a lot of quality on the pitch." But first, Schalke have to win in Maribor, something that neither Sporting nor Chelsea have managed (both teams drew 1-1).
Courage has led to a small run of victories. With his new 3-5-2 system, Di Matteo's Schalke defeated Wolfsburg, Mainz and Stuttgart, scoring eleven goals along the way and conceding only three. The formation also led to a 4-0 win in Stuttgart, the club's first away win in two and a half months. The injury list remains long and Kevin-Prince Boateng is still out with an ankle injury.
Horst Heldt was grateful for the congratulations that he got on his 45th birthday but Schalke 04's sporting director would much rather celebrate a win on Wednesday night: "I am optimistic that we will get it done," said the manager before flying out to Maribor for their final game which will decide the club's future in Europe. The match on Wednesday in the Champions League's smallest stadium will be like a final for the team that are currently in fourth place in the Bundesliga.
The knockout stages, the Europa League or nothing
"It's an all-or-nothing game," said Heldt before Schalke made their way to Slovenia on Flight DE9236 with the wind between their sails following three league wins in a row. "In the last few years we have always got it right," said the manager.
This time, however, many things are different. The game will not be played in one of the largest stadiums in Europe but in the 'Ljudski vrt', the 'people's garden', which only holds 12,000 fans. Six of Schalke's players are worth more than the entire squad of the twelve-time Slovenian champions.
Help from Chelsea is necessary
A win on its own might not be enough for Schalke to stay in the Champions League, as rivals Sporting Lisbon must also lose against Chelsea, who have already won the group. "We need to get the job done and then hope," said coach Roberto Di Matteo, who knows about the Champions League finals in a very different context. In 2012, he triumphed with Chelsea in Munich and took home the trophy.
The Italian is trying to finish in second place behind his ex-club Chelsea: "According to my information, they will make a few changes but even then they still have a lot of quality on the pitch." But first, Schalke have to win in Maribor, something that neither Sporting nor Chelsea have managed (both teams drew 1-1).
Courage has led to a small run of victories. With his new 3-5-2 system, Di Matteo's Schalke defeated Wolfsburg, Mainz and Stuttgart, scoring eleven goals along the way and conceding only three. The formation also led to a 4-0 win in Stuttgart, the club's first away win in two and a half months. The injury list remains long and Kevin-Prince Boateng is still out with an ankle injury.
