Key Highlights
- FC Schalke 04 secured their seventh home victory in eight games with a narrow 1-0 win over Nürnberg.
- Coach Miron Muslic expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s performance, citing lack of intensity and coolness on the ball.
- Kenan Karaman and Vitalie Becker scored Schalke’s only goal in the first half, showcasing teamwork despite the overall poor performance.
- Muslic acknowledged their defensive stability but noted the need for more offensive power to secure victories consistently.
FC Schalke 04 Clinch Home Victory Over Nürnberg
On Sunday, December 14, 2025, FC Schalke 04 secured their seventh home win in eight games with a narrow 1-0 victory over Nürnberg. The match, played at their home ground, was the last of the year for both teams.
In the post-match press conference, Coach Miron Muslic expressed his disappointment with the team’s performance, highlighting the lack of intensity and coolness on the ball:
“We didn’t find our game as intended. Our power and intensity were not brought onto the pitch.
Nürnberg made it difficult for us both with and without the ball. Despite this, we had a couple of promising counter-attacks where three players would rush two opponents, but unfortunately, we lacked that coolness on the ball.”
Despite the poor overall performance, Schalke managed to score in the first half through a beautiful teamwork play between Kenan Karaman and Vitalie Becker. Coach Muslic elaborated:
“Kenan kept his composure, and Vitalie rewarded himself for his initial touch with a clean finish.
It was an excellent team effort.”
Coach Muslic acknowledged that the second half saw Schalke’s performance deteriorate significantly:
“In the second half, we started better but felt like playing basketball—back and forth. The last 20 to 25 minutes were insufficient for us; you lose your structure if you don’t have that.”
Muslic remained positive despite the poor performance, recognizing Schalke’s defensive stability:
“We are the happy winners today. We took the points with us and it was our seventh home win in eight games.
Despite not playing as we wanted to, we showed that we can still defend well and take advantage of opportunities.”
Coach Muslic emphasized the need for more offensive dominance moving forward:
“We were not greedy enough today, and we know that in the long run, we cannot play this way. We must become more dominant on the pitch and intensify our game.”
Team Captain Kenan Karaman Reflects on the Match
Kenan Karaman, Schalke’s captain, shared his thoughts:
“For Vita, it was a great feeling to see him score and celebrate with Schalke. I didn’t think we would finish the season so beautifully, and it was nice to give our fans one last gift.”
Karaman acknowledged that despite the poor performance, Schalke’s defense remained solid:
“It wasn’t a good game from us but showed that even without playing at full strength, we can still defend well and take advantage of our chances. We need to stay focused in training and apply this intensity to every game in the upcoming season.”
Coach Muslic’s Vision for Future Success
Muslic concluded with his vision for Schalke’s future:
“We must become more offensive. Last year, we would not have won such a game. This is an important win, but we need to work on our attacking play and take advantage of our chances more effectively.”
Muslic also addressed his personal situation, noting that he was not nominated for the Africa Cup:
“Since I’m not going to the Africa Cup, I’ll support Mali from here.
I will focus on my family during the break and return with renewed energy in the new year.”
Muslic’s comments reflect a balanced approach between acknowledging the team’s performance issues and highlighting their defensive strengths and potential for improvement:
“We need to keep our focus, stay together, and continue playing as we did this season. With more intensity and better attacking play, we will be on the right track.”