FC Schalke 04

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FC Schalke 04, the only Bundesliga side left in the UEFA Champions League, have been handed a match against the Portuguese champions.

The "Royal Blues" entertain the 2004 winners at the Veltins Arena on February 19.

The second leg will be played in Portugal on March 5.

A lot to play for in April

The quarter-finals take place on April 1/2 and 8/9, the semi-finals will be played on April 22/23 and 29/30.

Moscow will host the final on May 21.

All round of 16 matches:

Celtic - Barcelona
Lyon - Manchester
Schalke 04 - FC Porto
Liverpool - Inter Milan
AS Roma - Real Madrid
Arsenal - AC Milan
Olympiacos - Chelsea
Fenerbahce - FC Sevilla

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After seeing his Schalke side paired with Portuguese outfit FC Porto in the knock-out stage of the Champions League, Königsblauen striker Kevin Kuranyi has welcomed the draw with some confidence.

“It’s a very good draw. If we play well and give everything, then we have a good chance against Porto of making it to the next round” he said straight after the draw.

“But Porto are a strong team, who have already shown their class in this season’s competition. In their domestic league they are top and undefeated, so we have been warned” he added.

“However, I hope that we can put in a strong performance in the home leg and create a good situation for the away leg.”

Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is also looking forward to the clash with the Estádio do Dragão side.

“I’ve already got experience of Porto when I was a ball-boy at the 2004 Champions League final at the Veltins Arena. I’m delighted that we have got a team like Porto.

“They came through as Group winners against Liverpool, so we can’t afford to underestimate them.

“But saying that, we do have a very good chance of going through to the next stage” he concluded.

Goal.com - Champions League - Kuranyi Confident After Porto Pairing

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German international striker Kevin Kuranyi has revealed that he would love to see Lukas Podolski alongside him at Schalke.

With speculation mounting that Bayern are looking to bring Goran Pandev to the Allianz Arena, it seems likely that Podolski would not hang around in Bavaria as a fourth choice striker.

Schalke management board member Olaf Thon has reportedly suggested Podolski as a transfer target for the Königsblauen- an idea that Kuranyi embraces whole-heartedly.

"Every club would love to have a player with his qualities" he admitted.

"I would certainly talk to him if the trainer and management declared an interest in him. Up to now, that hasn't been the case."

The front man is keen for Schalke to strengthen their squad during the winter break.

"We saw in the first half of the season, that we had strengthened in the summer.

"But it is clear that it would be good to sign a few more top players. Competition remains our business."

The German international is also keen to maintain his own form in order that he makes the Euro 2008 squad and doesn't have to go through the heartache of 2006 again.

Kuranyi was surprisingly left out of Jürgen Klinsmann's World Cup squad to accomodate David Odonkor and is determined to grab a spot in Joachim Löw's 22 for the finals in the summer.

"I don't want to miss my chance this time. I need to carry on scoring goals" he said.

"I don't want to experience another disappointment like 2006 again. But i don't think I'll be the only Schalke player at the European Championships- the more, the better" he concluded.

Goal.com - Schalke - Kuranyi Sends Out Podolski Invitation

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Schalke have confirmed the signing of Brazilian Zé Roberto from Botafogo, while also announcing that defender Dario Rodriguez has left to return to his homeland in Uruguay.

The Brazilian has signed a contract with the Königsblauen until 2011. He shouldn't however be confused with the Zé Roberto who plays for Bayern Munich.

"We wanted to sign him in the summer" explained Schalke General manager Andreas Müller.

"But at that time it didn't happen. But we are just happy that he is here now."

Schalke are also in the hunt to sign Uruguayan international striker Vicente Sanchez from Mexican side Deportivo Toluca.

"As before, we are very interested in him and will do everything we can to bring him here in the next few days" Müller said.

Should the deal fail to materialise, Schalke will continue to look to strengthen their forward line.

The Ruhr side have meanwhile confirmed that defender Dario Rodriguez has been allowed to leave the club. Due to family reasons, his contract has been mutually terminated and he will now remain in Uruguay.

The 33 year old will be granted a farewell match on 25 Janury against FC Basel.

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Schalke have moved decisively to sign talented Georgian youngster Levan Kenia from Lokomotiv Tiflis.

The 17 year old international has signed a contract with the Königsblauen until 2012.

Kenia, who made his debut with the Georgian national side aged 16, will play for Schalke's U-19 team for the second half of the current season, before joining the first team squad in the summer.

The player was being chased by a number of top european clubs, so the move comes as quite a coup for Schalke.

"He is unbelievably talented" explained manager Andreas Müller. "He is strong on the ball and we are delighted to have got him" he added.

Schalke meanwhile are being forced to wait to see new 3 million Euro signing Ze Roberto in action as the Brazilian is still awaiting the relevant paperwork to go through.

"The contract is with the DFB, who have to fax it to the Brazilian FA. Until the document comes back with the correct stamp, then we have to wait. It could take a few days" revealed Müller.

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Interesting..

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Another Midfield Talent don't they have enough at the moment with Rakitic and Özil? But he seems to be more variable. Although it's only the georgian national team a debut with 16 is impressive.

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Schalke coach Mirko Slomka has called on strikers Soren Larsen and Peter Lovenkrands to make "significant improvements" if they are to play a more prominent role for the club in the second half of the season.

Larsen has dropped to fifth in the club's striking pecking order while Lovenkrands has found his first-team chances limited, but both were on target in a 3-1 friendly win over Freiburg on Tuesday.

With star striker Kevin Kuranyi laid low by a lung infection, Slomka is now ready to let the Danish pair challenge Gerald Asamoah and Halil Altintop for the starting berths in attack as the Royal Blues bid to challenge on three fronts between now and May.

"Both have already shown what they are capable of," Slomka said after watching Larsen and Lovenkrands' goalscoring displays.

"I expect them both to make significant improvements."

Larsen has been linked with a move to Lovenkrands' former club Rangers, but Slomka is keen to keep his current squad intact as they chase Bundesliga, Champions League and German Cup glory.

"The players all know that we are working for titles in May, in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and the Champions League," Slomka added to the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.

"[A large squad] is good and it can only help the team.

"In the first half of the season, we had numerous injuries and I am happy to have more options in my team to allow us to reach the targets we have set."

Source

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Schalke coach Mirko Slomka is pleased with his teams performance after they beat Werder Bremen to win the Victoria Cup in Belek.

The training is hard, but the mood is exceptionally good at Schalke! After some impressive showings in friendlies in Belek, Turkey, Mirko Slomka sat down with the clubs official website to spill the beans on the general mood within the squad. As he see things, the squad is ready for battle when the Bundesliga resumes, and that the players have even been singing!

Question: Mirko Slomka, Schalke won both friendlies during their training camp. Is that a good omen for the rest of the season?

Mirko Slomka: Of course it is great when you win games. The team looked very fresh on the pitch, and they were quick during the games. It has shown that the mood within the squad is very good, despite having up to four training sessions a day. We're having a lot of fun, everyone is having a laugh and they've even been singing in the bus!

Question: Has the good mood made a difference on the pitch?

Slomka: Yes it has, and it was plain to see in many situations during the matches. You could notice that we wanted to play football; and everyone was battling for a place on the team. We want to work as hard on our defensive play as we did in the first half of the season. We gave Bremen very few chances. We played a variable game and we successful in pushing forward, but I think our game may have to be a bit quicker at times.

Question: There were a lot of counter-attacks, which has been part of Schalke's game plan this season...

Slomka: That's correct. Once again, we were busy winning possession and getting forward. We have been working on that in training. Peter Lövenkrands and Gerald Asamoah are already in fine form, and I'd say we are a step further.
Question: Benedikt Höwedes made a good impression playing central defence in both matches, didn't he?

Slomka: Yes, he did exceptionally well. Benny's performances were faultless. He's relaxed, has routine and doesn't shy away from helping us go forward. I liked what I saw; he's an intelligent young man.
Question: How did you rate Mesut Özil, and how did you rate his performances? After all, his contract extension has been under scrutiny recently.

Slomka: Such an intensive training camp was surely a new experience for Mesut. He's never had to so that with us before. He was at the Under-20 European Championships last summer. The week here in Belek was tough on his stamina. He's not the kind of player who likes to work as intensively when we are not in possession, although he has improved in this area during the season. Mesut is a player who likes to have the ball. There were a couple of situations when he showed just how good he is when he is in possession.

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Reports from Mexico suggest that German giants Schalke 04 are poised to complete the signing of Uruguayan striker Vicente Sanchez

German side Schalke 04 are on the verge of bringing a new striker to the Veltins-Arena.

Vicente Sanchez, a 13-time Uruguayan international who currently plays in Mexico for Deportivo Toluca, looks Bundesliga bound after Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca reported the agreement of a €1m fee.

A deal was reportedly struck between Schalke representatives and Toluca president Fernando Corona in the middle of last night, although Königsblauen sporting director Andreas Müller cooled things somewhat:

"I can't confirm the transfer just yet but we're on the right track," he told German magazine Kicker.

Personal terms with the player, whose contract in Mexico expires at the end of the season, still have to be agreed.

Busy Buying

Schalke have already been busy in the January transfer window, reeling in winger Albert Streit for €2.5m from Eintracht Frankfurt and Brazilian midfielder Zé Roberto from Botafogo as well as the hotly-tipped 17-year-old Georgian striker Levan Kenia.

Uruguayan Contingent

Should the deal go through as planned, Sanchez, who has been on Schalke's wanted list for some time, will join fellow Uruguayan internationals Gustavo Varela and Carlos-Javier Großmüller in Gelsenkirchen.

Defender Dario Rodriguez, another player from the South American country, was recently released due to family grievances in his homeland.

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According to reports from the Mexican press highly-rated Uruguayan striker Vicente Sanchez has joined Schalke 04 of Germany.

Sanchez, who is a Uruguayan international, has found most of his success in the Mexican First Division, and was voted the MVP of the championship with Toluca last season.

The former Diablo Rojo, had a very good goal scoring record in Mexico, and this is what first attracted Schalke's attention.

The tricky charrua can play on the wing or up front, and probably his greatest gift is the ability to turn defenders inside out with his majestic dribbling skills, and his speed.

Last year Sanchez represented Uruguay at the Copa America in Venezuela, and he also featured in Uruguay's 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

Sanchez will play alongside two fellow Uruguayans at Schalke, these being midfielders Gustavo Varela and Carlos Grossmuller.

Only last week Schalke parted ways with Dario Rodriguez, another Uruguayan who returned to Penarol of Montevideo.

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Although Schalke 04 signed no less than Albert Streit, Ze Roberto and Levan Kenia during the winter break, the mood in the Veltins Arena has remained surprisingly calm.

Gelsenkirchen, the home of FC Schalke 04, is not the current source of media attention as the season heads into the second leg. Which means Schalke have had an uninterrupted time to put all of their energy into preparing for the matches ahead.

In an interview with bundesliga.de, coach Mirko Slomka talks about the most recent developments for the Bundesliga runner up.

bundesliga.de: Mr Slomka, Schalke have just returned from training camp. How ready is the squad for the second leg?

Mirko Slomka: Our work was very productive. The two wins in training camp, against SC Freiburg and Werder Bremen, also show that we're on the right path. We want to play with a faster tempo and to counter better when that situation arises. And the team achieved both those goals in the two matches we played.

bundesliga.de: S04 was very active in terms of transfers during the winter break, signing Albert Streit, Ze Roberto and Levan Kenia. How do you plan to use the new acquisitions?

Slomka: Albert Streit is a player who is strong outside. His assist and passing ability is something other clubs in the Bundesliga have to plan for. He's one of the best at assists. Ze Roberto is very flexible and effective wherever he is on the field and he has great skills in one-on-one situations. He gave a good indication of his playing abilities in the friendlies. Levan Kenia will start by playing on our under-19 squad and then will move over the professional team in the summer. He has a lot of talent. As a midfielder, his technique is excellent, he's quick and versatile. He's only 17 and has already shown what he can do as a starter in international matches against Italy and Scotland.

bundesliga.de: What place will Schalke be in at the end of the season? Will you make a run in the second leg?

Slomka: We set ourselves a goal at the beginning of the season. We want to finish in the top three and qualify for the Champions League. Right now, we're three points out of third place. That's not a margin we can't make up.

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Schalke coach Mirko Slomka learned a few more lessons from his side's third test game of the winter break, against Magdeburg.

Slomka was in no doubt as to what was lacking in the Royal Blues' performance in a 1-1 draw: "We didn't get into our usual rythmn at all...there was uncertainty in front of goal - we could easily scored from the Lovenkrands chance, and Halil Altintop hung onto the ball too long on more than one occasion."

Rafinha hard to replace

As a result, the Gelsenkirchen outfit only had Heiko Westermann's effort to show for their on-field superiority at half-time, while after the break they hardly created a chance worthy of the name.

Elsewhere, problems on the right side of defence were made particularly evident. Three different players filled in for the absent Rafinha: Gustavo Varela in the first half, Jermaine Jones for half an hour after the break, and finally youngster Carlos Zambrano. "We were trying a few things out", Slomka commented afterwards.

Höwedes shines

One positive aspect for the coach was that, "Benedikt Höwedes got in a whole game and played excellently. Should we have a problem in the central defence, I'd put him on in the Bundesliga without a second thought."

Of new signing Ze Roberto, Slomka said: "He needs a bit more time. He was out for a while after a long season in Brazil and a torn muscle, and still has to work on his fitness. But we knew that before we signed him, and we're working on it."

To date, Ze Roberto is the only one of Schalke's new signings to have put in an appearance for the side. Striker Vicente Sanchez is set to become the second in next Friday's (25 Jan.) home game with FC Basel, while Albert Streit is still recuperating following a knee operation.

Extra fixture possible

The Schalke management are contemplating arranging an extra friendly to give former Frankfurt man Streit the opportunity
to gain some match practice. In short, Slomka summarized, "There's a lot to do yet." A far from unusual scenario after two weeks preparation, with eleven days still to go until the return to competitive action, away to VfL Wolfsburg in the DFB Cup.