Still listening to his old club
©IMAGO
On Wednesday, Sead Kolasinac returns to Gelsenkirchen after three good years. When Shakhtar Donetsk play their first home match of this year’s Champions League season at Schalke against Atalanta Bergamo, the 31-year-old will also be part of the Europa League-winning team. The defender’s expectations have been « huge since the draw », as he revealed in an interview with « WAZ ».
The Bosnian was active for Schalke 04 from 2012 to 2017 and in the second half of the 2020/21 season and, among other things, played 141 matches for the professional Royal Blues. To this day, he still follows his former club regularly and suffers from it. “Yes, I definitely watch every game. On Saturday, after our 1-1 draw in Bologna, I immediately looked at my phone and was really happy with the victory in Münster. Stones also fell from my heart.
Kolasinac still has occasional contact with his former employer, his closest being longtime youth coach Norbert Elgert. “He is still my mentor and one of my most important advisors. The trainer, as I still call him, doesn’t just contact me when I’m doing well or succeeding. Whatever crisis I have gone through so far, he has managed to make me stronger. »
It is no wonder that the Karlsruhe native also advises the Schalke veterans in the current critical situation. “As already mentioned, I really like Norbert Elgert and I don’t understand why his skills are not used in the professional department. He is the best coach in the world, he makes every player better and there will hardly be anyone at Schalke who has such a strong connection with the club and the fans. He is an absolute leader and he has a very strong character. I think this is exactly what the club can use in the management team at the moment,” Kolasinac stressed.
Can Kolasinac imagine returning to Schalke – as youth coach?
He himself could « of course » imagine a return to the Knappen « under certain conditions », but his contract with Atalanta runs until 2025. But a return after his playing career is also possible, according to the left-hander, who already a precise contract. plan . “I have already told Norbert Elgert several times that he absolutely must stay for a few more years as U19 coach because I really want to become his assistant coach. He always laughs and says he can’t promise me that. » Elgert is currently 67 years old and Kolasinac wants to play for a few more years.