Naldo talks about his Schalke exit, defends Heidel and eyes a return to the Bundesliga
Naldo explains his reasons for leaving Schalke 04, backs Christian Heidel, who recently stepped down as the club's sporting director, and eyes a return to Germany before his career is over.
Naldo was among the most prolific players at Schalke 04 in their successful 2017/18 campaign that saw 'The Royal Blues' finish in second place.
However, as this season progressed, the 36-year-old slipped down the pecking order and eventually ended up leaving Gelsenkirchen to join Ligue 1 side AS Monaco in January.
Speaking in an interview with Deichstube, the Brazilian centre-back has elaborated his decision to leave 'The Royal Blues'.
"I played two and a half years at Schalke, but at the end I realized that I didn't play a role anymore. At some point it was clear to me that no matter what I did, I wouldn't be on the pitch again. I accepted that, but looked for a solution," Naldo said.
Schalke's sporting director at the time, Christian Heidel, subsequently suggested that Naldo's move to Monaco was motivated by money, but the centre-back claims that's not the case.
"That surprised me very much, because it's not true. There were other reasons why I left Schalke. I explained that to Christian before my transfer. I told him that I no longer felt the trust that I needed and that I would therefore like to leave the club during the winter break," Naldo said.
Heidel recently stepped down as the club's sporting director after being victim of a lot of criticism. But, according to Naldo, it's unfair to blame Schalke's disappointing results this season on the 55-year-old.
"That Schalke's situation isn't good at the moment isn't his fault. It's not fair that he has recently been so heavily criticized. One must not forget how many of the players he brought in who were outstanding at their former clubs. Schalke have also had a lot of bad luck this year. For me, Christian Heidel is a good person and a good manager," Naldo underlined.
With Naldo turning 37 years old this year, his career is moving towards its end. But the Brazilian defender doesn't want to rule out that he could return to the Bundesliga before he hangs up his boots.
"It would be great to return to the Bundesliga. But I have to wait and see what happens and if I can find another club that will let me play."
Besides Schalke, Naldo has also played for Werder Bremen and VfL Wolfsburg in Germany. His contact with Monaco runs until the summer of 2020.