Rutten rues Schalke arrogance

Tuesday 16 September 2008

Schalke coach Fred Rutten admitted his team were made to pay for their arrogance after throwing away a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 at Borussia Dortmund in one of the most dramatic Ruhr derbies of recent years.

Goals from Jefferson Farfan, Rafinha and Heiko Westermann looked, with 20 minutes of the game remaining, to have given the Royal Blues victory.

But while Schalke began showboating, Alexander Frei set up Neven Subotic to pull one back for the hosts before making it 3-2 himself, despite being clearly offside.

Schalke were reduced to nine men as Christian Pander and Fabian Ernst both saw red before Frei converted a penalty to rescue a point for Dortmund.

"We were a little too arrogant at times," said Rutten.

"I am not very happy because the game was won at 3-0. There are a few moments in the game that are questionable."

Rutten was referring to Frei's 70th-minute goal which gave the home side hope of rescuing an unlikely point, but which even Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp admitted should have been chalked off for offside.

"I am not blind, of course I can see (that it is offside)," he said afterwards.

Klopp was though full of praise for his side's comeback against their biggest rivals in front of over 80,000 fans at the Westfalenstadion.

"It is very extraordinary to come back against a team like Schalke, but in the end, it was a deserved draw," he added.

"There are some wins that I have not been as delighted about."

The result maintained both sides' unbeaten start to the season, but it meant Schalke slipped from first to third in the table, behind new leaders Hamburg and Bayern Munich.