Imagine a typhoon at sea, with waves and strong winds, you’re a great boat. It’s not a speedboat or a kayak, but anything like an advertising fishing trawr, a clipper or Roman Abramovich’s newest superyacht. You’ll want to prepare for the typhoon and make some adjustments, and you’ll probably want to drink water. He’s worried there’s some damage once it’s all over, but he’s not worried about his survival.
Now think you’re an aircraft carrier.
On the water, there are big boats and there are big boats. In football, there are big clubs and big clubs. And those who stick or paint in the game are very aware of the differences. Schalke 04 is a wonderful club. Originally from the football-mad Ruhr region of western Germany, Schalke amassed around 62,000 game-consistent enthusiasts at the Veltins-Arena before the pandemic. It ranks among the 10 most sensitive in the world in terms of average attendance. European Trophies and, according to Deloitte’s annual Football Money League report, is the fifteenth richest team in the world with sales of 2018-2019 exceeding $380 million.
But he drank water. The lack of a source of income on the day in shape since the Transitional Close of the Bundesliga in early March, as well as the fact that Schalke did not qualify for the UEFA Champions League in 4 of the last five seasons (not to mention 2020-21 being third in 4 without European football of all kinds), has hit the effects hard. At the end of June, President Clemens Tunnies resigned.
“I wouldn’t say we’re a club right now, but we’re still one of the biggest clubs in Europe when we communicate about members, when we communicate about fans, when we communicate about viewers at home or away,” Jochen Schneider said. Sports director of the Schalke.
“But if you don’t have the European money you have to compete in UEFA competitions, then it will be a medium-term challenge,” he told Sports Illustrated. “This club is used to betting on European football and the length of the club, the number of employees, the salaries we pay to players, everything wants European football And since we haven’t qualified 3 out of four times, we have to face the truth now, and this, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, has made the scenario so complicated for us. “
Weston McKennie, a 22-year-old midfielder with three bundesliga seasons to his credit, ended up being the first American to point to tough Juventus. Juventus is a great club. It’s an aircraft carrier.
Filippo Alfero / Juventus / Getty Images
When Juve was heading to their ninth consecutive Serie A league, Schalke was defeated after the resumption in May. He was un won in nine Bundesliga matches, escaping European posts and placing himself at the back of the table. that the club had to sell at least one valuable player, “to close the delta when we think about our budget”, the type of player with which no more sunny periods would be included. According to Transfermarkt, the Schalke has covered the value of 4 men at minus 18 million euros. Among them was McKennie, a product of FC Dallas, who aroused the utmost interest.
“Since the resumption of the Bundesliga, he was by far the most productive player [at Schalke] and in some matches he knew the team alone,” said Schneider, who spent more than 3 years at Red Bull before arriving in Gelsenkirchen.
“When we extended Weston’s contract just a year ago, we didn’t expect him to leave in the summer of 2020,” Schneider said. “When we didn’t qualify for Europe, more COVID, it led us to the resolution to sell a Lo communicated brazenly and that’s why other clubs contacted us and said, “Look, we’d be interested in signing Weston McKennie. “
Why McKennie?
“It’s a mixture of several reasons, ” said Schneider. ” First of all, he’s a wonderful footballer. He’s still a young boy. He’s just been 22 years old. He’s an American international. He is a warrior in the area and every day brings a lot of positive power to the wardrobe. He’s a smart guy. So there are so many reasons why Weston is such a horny target.
Now we are used to seeing American players move to Europe and move around Europe. Once there, a few chosen have taken a significant step in terms of competition. In recent years, Michael Bradley (from Chievo Verona to AS Roma) and Clint Dempsey (from Fulham to Tottenham Hotspur) have gone from relegation-friendly groups to champions league-targeting groups; however, they were later in their careers. Christian Pulisic’s $73 million move from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea has set a new bar, not only in value, but also in terms of popularity of a wonderful club’s perspective on a young American player.
But Pulisic’s Big Club pedigree has no doubt when it was sold early last year. McKennie’s under discussion. And when Schalke released the first “Stop” sell signal — his season ended in late June – it seemed like the most likely move on the American side.
Hertha Berlin interested. It can be argued that a change to Hertha may be only a small step forward given Schalke’s current monetary situation, but the capital’s club is not a European heavyweight. He has not qualified for the Champions League for two decades and finished only two more Schalke issues last season.
“But if I could be between a German club and a foreign club, I’d prefer the foreign club because it doesn’t play in your league. He doesn’t play against you twice a year. I think it’s normal,” Schneider said. ” But we would also have come to an agreement with a German club if that’s where he was looking to go. “
Ralf Treese / DeFodi Images / Getty Images
Schneider did not want to verify the identity of McKennie’s other suitors, but Sports Illustrated understands that Southampton was first and foremost the most interested team beyond Alemania. De’s most sensible at the lowest, the Premier League is more competitive than the Bundesliga and its players are playing in the brightest global spotlight. Again, you can simply say that moving to Santa Maria would be a small step forward. But Southampton are still as likely to be relegated as to qualify for the Europa League. Other clubs have reportedly sprung up, adding AS Monaco and Liverpool. Schneider proved that he had not been contacted through the latter.
Then came the call. It was mid-August and Juve’s first contact point was Michael Reschke, Schalke’s technical director who had in the past faced the Italian club while running for Bayern Munich.
“They’ve known others for a long time, so they called Michael and wondered if there would be a chance of getting Weston. That’s how they put us in touch,” Schneider said.
Conditions and calculations changed, and reports coming out of Italy and Germany that Juventus were interested in McKennie were surprised, not because McKennie did not deserve attention, but because the Bianconeri had not shown much interest in American players before. That would be a step significativo. adelante. La Juve is a giant of world football, a club in tradition that has hosted a litany of famous players and now has the greatest magnet of the sport, Cristiano Ronaldo, besides, he is obsessed with winning the Champions League. Juve’s last continental triumph came here in 1996, and his recent streak of unprecedented national domination led to only two finalists.
“Overall, we were going through two other clubs, a German club and a Premier League club. But when Juventus arrived, he was probably one of the six most sensible clubs in the world. Weston was so eager to move to such a big club, ” said Schneider. “When we’re on our way to making a resolution like this, it’s about player progression and club progression. If the player’s progression is faster than that of the club, as has been the case with Weston in the last two years, and a great club like Juventus is knocking on our door, we want to let them know and to the extent that we can locate a moderate solution for the club in terms of money, it is fair and mandatory not to hinder the movement of the players ».
McKennie contacted Juventus new manager Andrea Pirlo for FaceTime and told Schneider that he had discovered the World Cup winner and former Juve midfielder (and New York City FC) “pretty impressive. “In any case, Juventus have lost a little age and salary in midfield this low season, sending 30-year-old midfielder Miralem Pjanio to Barcelona (with Arthur Melo in the other direction) and Blaise Matuidi, 33, on the MLS expansion team. , Inter Miami.
With McKennie’s evident, negotiations began.
Are you in a position to take this step?”If you say “yes” and we reach an agreement with the club that is also helping our club, in terms of money, then I think it’s time to let the player through,” Schneider said. “Then we have to bring the next one and give this player a chance to expand as Weston did. That’s a component of our philosophy. There aren’t that many big clubs in the world and Juventus is a component of it, and it’s hard to tell a player: ‘No, you can’t move on to Juventus. If they had come with a ridiculous offer, we would have. ‘I said ‘no’, but in the end it was a smart deal for all components. .
The complex treatment as it included a one-year loan and situations that gave Juventus the opportunity, if not the obligation, to take McKennie’s rights. Loan prices amount to 4. 5 million euros ($5. 3 million) and at the end of the 2020-2021 season. Juventus can make the move permanent with an additional minimum of 18. 5 million euros ($21. 9 million), but that figure can be successful at 25. 5 million euros ($30. 2 million) if McKennie and/or the club meet certain criteria. At least one milestone that would force Juventus to buy: if McKennie appears in at least 60% of their matches this season, according to a Sky Sports report. means more effective for the long-term Schalke.
Schneider said he hopes Juventus will remain McKennie beyond this season, but that if something happens and he is sent back to Gelsenkirchen, the American would win with open arms.
“We would be more than happy to locate him here. He still has three years of contract left. He’s a wonderful player, a fantastic person. It’s going to be a win-win situation. If you stay there permanently or if you will return. ” But I don’t think he’ll go back to the Schalke next summer, ” said Schneider. “I wouldn’t call [the loan] an attempt. This is not the best description. I know you see a long-term investment”. in it and that Juventus, you don’t need to stay alone for a year. That was clear.
Schneider and Schalke obviously need situations to be different, but those situations separate the big clubs from the big clubs, and in the end, McKennie’s move was McKennie’s most productive long-term decision.
“Before COVID, I wouldn’t have sold it for that kind of money. But in this complicated movement market, that’s fine. To be honest, that’s fine,” Schneider acknowledged.
Filippo Alfero / Juventus / Getty Images
McKennie unveiled Monday and, with intelligence discussed through Schneider, he expertly opened his press convention with a small Italian, posed for the photos and walked through the grounds of Allianz Stadium, crossing a barrier with every step or click of a shutter. Real Madrid, Juventus is arguably the most outstanding European team that has ever introduced an American. An unforeseen phone call was needed in Germany last month to bring about a significant change.
“It’s an honor to be the first American player in Juventus history,” McKennie said Monday. “I’m proud to have the opportunity to wear this T-shirt, set up my country and bring young Americans closer to football. “
He added: “It is not obligatory to convince me to come to Juventus, because being here is a dream come true. “
Juventus open their Serie A season on 20 September at Sampdoria.
Back at the Schalke, the procedure described through Schneider continues: “bring the next one”. He is not qualified for Europa. Se he hopes he will extend his existing career over three decades in Germany’s most sensitive stands and for that purpose has recruited free agent striker Vedad Ibi-evic from Hertha. There’s a connection to the United States there. – Ibi-evi went to high school and college in St. Louis. Louis. As for the rest of the existing move-in window, there’s still almost a month to go. But any move will be modest, as Schalke seeks to announce from within. that’s where you can find the most powerful American ties.
Like Fulham, Schalke rarely necessarily seeks American players. But the organization trusts them. It does no harm that head coach David Wagner, born in Germany, played for the United States in the late 1990s. The Schalke also has a wonderful religion in its academy, which is known for producing players. such as Manuel Neuer, Julian Draxler, Benedikt Huwedes, Leroy Sané and Thilo Kehrer, among others.
“I would say we have the most productive academy in Germany. We have the most productive under-19 coach in Europe, Norbert Elgert,” Schneider said. “I can call the 20 most sensitive players who evolved through Norbert, and that’s a great credit we have.
The next American graduate of that academy is Nick Taitague, a 21-year-old offensive/extreme midfielder from the Richmond, Virginia area, who was promoted to Schalke’s first team after three years at the club. Taitague has had injury problems, but has become healthier and more powerful and will be in a position for the Bundesliga minutes, Schneider said.
Max Maiwald / DeFodi Images / Getty Images
“We just extended his contract this summer [for a season with the two-year option]. He’s been through a tough time getting hurt and he’s been away for so long, but now he’s on a smart track, running hard with sports coaches. “He’s in a smart procedure to adapt to it, so he can play at that level,” Schneider said. “He’s still young. When you look at his face, look like he’s 16 or 17. It’s not the biggest. But it has a smart brain and works hard and we are pretty sure that it will play a smart season and that it can have an effect on our game.
Behind Taitague is Matthew Hoppe, a 19-year-old from Orange County, California, who chose Schalke over school football in the state of San Diego. He scored five goals in 20 appearances for Schalke’s under-19 team last season and has now been moved to germany’s fourth-placed reserve team. Another American, Evan Rotundo, signed with the club this summer and will start with the U-17. He’s an offensive midfielder from San Diego.
“I think American club academies are getting bigger, and young Americans are well-evolved when they arrive, technically, especially not so much in tactics,” Schneider said. “But the technical skills are good, and then the spirit is – I know some American players, also Tyler Adams of Leipzig when he played for New York – the spirit of those players is simply amazing. This is what is helping them a lot when they arrive in Europe at such a young age. “
They have the spirit, and now they have evidence of concept. There are Americans over the age of 22 or younger at RB Leipzig, a Champions League semi-finalist and former winners Ajax and Chelsea. There’s a 19-year-old from South Florida, Konrad of the Fuente Angels, at Barcelona B. And now, unlikely, there’s an American foreigner in Juventus. The Grand Clubs now welcome Americans on board.