"FAITH IN THE PEOPLE IN THE JOB"

Dietmar Hopp: "With some astonishment, I read that due to the current situation, I had set deadlines and asked for a report. That is not the case. It is clear that we have not yet got going as we had hoped this season, in part due to several extraordinary events. I have faith in the people in the job that they will cope with this situation and have told them that in person."

Oliver Baumann: "We should've gone ahead in the first half. We played very well until conceding the first goal and created lots of chances. Then we were hit on the counter-attack and suddenly we're 1-0 behind from Schalke's only shot at goal. What subsequently occurred in the second half is inexplicable. We're conceding goals too easily. It's difficult to stay objective. We need to focus on ourselves and not let ourselves be distracted."

Christoph Baumgartner: "As you can certainly imagine, this is very, very difficult for all of us. We came here wanting to get the three points. We played really well in the first half and had several clear-cut opportunities to score a goal, but then we went 1-0 behind shortly before the interval. It was then too easy for Schalke in the second half; we let ourselves fall apart too easily. The goals were conceded were too easy; we're defending very badly. That's how the game was decided. I can guarantee every fan that we'll give it all we've got to get out of this."

Sebastian Hoeness (TSG coach): "After 10 minutes, we were playing the way that we'd set out to. We had several promising opportunities. Unfortunately, we didn't take them. That was pivotal for the match. We then fell 1-0 behind with Schalke's first real chance. Then, in the second half, we no longer showed the kind of performance that we'd set out to. We defended in a way that you cannot defend. Ryan Sessegnon and Robert Skov are only out in the short term and will hopefully come back soon."

Alexander Rosen (director of professional football): "Overall, the way the game panned out is extremely bitter for us. We simply had to take the lead here with the three clear chances to score, but what happened next is what has happened so often in the past few weeks: we conceded a goal from the opposition's first clear chance. Nonetheless, we way we defended thereafter in individual situations is simply too naive and we deserved to lose with our play out from the back. We're very self-critical, but today two U19 players had to start. Robert Skov and Ryan Sessegnon have not been with us this week; there are now 12 or 13 established Bundesliga players who we're missing.  That's simply brutal. We can only keep going and give the lads who are available belief. I don't need to go to bat for the coach, because last Monday a topic was raised which does not reflect the truth in any way whatsoever. It was suggested that the executive management and myself back the coach but that Dietmar Hopp does not. That is total rubbish. There is great solidarity in our ranks. We'll get through this situation together."

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