Miron Muslić takes responsibility for Schalke’s defeat to Freiburg

Miron Muslić accepted responsibility for Schalke’s 2-1 Bundesliga defeat to Freiburg. After Yuito Suzuki was sent off for a second bookable offence, Schalke appeared to have an opportunity to make its numerical advantage count. But the coach said his tactical adjustments disrupted the team.

Maximilian Eggestein put Freiburg ahead before Adrian Gantenbein equalised for Schalke in the 30th minute. At 1-1, the visitors had a chance to take control against a side with fewer players, but could not turn that advantage into a winning performance. Muslić made five substitutions in search of a breakthrough, only for Goto’s late header to settle the match in Freiburg’s favour.

After the final whistle, Schalke’s coach did not shift the blame onto his players. He said he had changed the team’s shape in an attempt to win, but acknowledged that the decision had backfired. “We had the feeling that we had everything under control. We also felt that there was more possible for us today. Then I changed the structure to try to make it 2-1,” he said. He added: “That did not do the team any good. I made a mistake with that. The team could not deal with it.”

At the start of the season, newly promoted Schalke had taken five points from its first five matches and sat 13th. The defeat is a setback, and the club will look to respond in its next fixture.