Wilmots appointed new Schalke sporting director
Marc Wilmots has been named new Schalke 04 sporting director.
Schalke 04 have announced Marc Wilmots as their new sporting director.
André Hechelmann, who has been sporting director since last summer, will instead take up the newly created position of technical director.
"We - the supervisory board, my board colleague Christina Rühl-Hamers and I - first thought about the ideal structure for the current situation at Schalke. As a result, we decided to significantly strengthen the sporting director level. This is reflected in the increased responsibilities of the sporting director and the newly created position of technical director," said Schalke 04 CEO Matthias Tillmann.
"With Marc Wilmots we have been able to win a man for Schalke who knows the football business from many perspectives and who knows how a successful dressing room works."
Wilmots played for Schalke as an active player, winning the UEFA Cup and DFB-Pokal in his six years with the club.
He has worked as a coach for many years, having coached Belgium, Côte d'Ivoire and Iran, among others.
In his new role, Wilmots hopes to help Schalke, who currently sit 14th in the 2. Bundesliga, "regain their strength".
"I am really looking forward to my new role. Schalke 04 is a very special club for me, where I enjoyed great success as a player. Now I want to be at the forefront of the movement that will help Schalke regain their strength and shape a successful future," said Wilmots.
"We can only achieve this if each and every one of us works with focus and professionalism every day. Then we can inspire our fans with intense, attractive and ultimately successful football."