Stevens: 'Bentaleb will get a second chance – but he has to open the door himself'
Nabil Bentaleb must admit he has made a mistake to return to the first team, says Schalke interim coach Huub Stevens.
Schalke 04 interim coach Huub Stevens says he's willing to give the suspended Nabil Bentaleb a second chance - but only if the central midfielder approaches him with the intention to settle their disagreement.
Bentaleb was demoted to the under-23 team in the wake of Schalke's 0-1 defeat to RB Leipzig on March 16. The 24-year-old wasn't able to play due to an injury, but was supposed to watch the game in the stands with the other injured players. But Bentaleb didn't show up, and he was subsequently punished for 'disciplinary reasons'.
The midfielder has since claimed he forgot to send a text message to inform Stevens that he wouldn't be able to come because of the birth of his twins. Nevertheless, the 65-year-old has stuck to his decision, and he's now waiting for Bentaleb to approach him.
"Nabil will get a second chance – but he has to open the door himself," Stevens told Kicker and refused to elaborate:
"The background doesn't belong in the public domain," he added.
Schalke face Hannover 96 away from home in their next match on Sunday.