Bundesliga - Schalke 04 - Board of Directors demands points, Rutten annoyed

"The intellectualisation
of football has
always foundered
on a simple problem-
-the players. Doing
all your most
rewarding thinking
with your feet seems
to dull the philo-
sophical impulse.
Unless, of course,
you are Dutch.
According to legend,
Europeans played
a moronic, muscular
version of the world's
game, until Holland
proclaimed its vision
of total football in the
1974 World Cup,
and enlightenment
dawned."

From:
Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football

Schalke Board of Directors demand points, Rutten annoyed

Thursday 20 November 2008

Fred Rutten better start getting points with Schalke 04 if he wants to keep his job.

That was the rather peculiar message that Clemens Tönnies, chairman of the Board of Directors of the club from Gelsenkirchen, sent into the world this week.

"I expect 10 points from the last four games before the winter break," said the influential director.

The remarks didn't go down well with Schalke manager Fred Rutten.

"This type of remarks are not very intelligent and it's not good for the club," Rutten muttered.

"Have I talked to Tönnies this? Hell no and I am not going to. This is not part of my way of communicating."

Rutten is having a difficult start with his new employer.

Schalke are currently ranked eighth in the Bundesliga and earlier did not manage to qualify for the Champions league.