Kevin Großkreutz: “All of Dortmund will celebrate if Schalke get relegated”
By Tushar Bahl
Former Borussia Dortmund player Kevin Großkreutz would be happy if Schalke 04 were to get relegated from the Bundesliga this season, but he would miss the Revierderby after some time.
Schalke 04 have had a 2020 to forget and go into the new year with no wins in their previous 29 games in the Bundesliga. The Royal Blues find themselves rooted to the bottom of the Bundesliga standings, with nine defeats and four draws from their opening 13 games of the season. Childhood Borussia Dortmund fan Kevin Großkreutz, who spent six years playing for the Black and Yellows, would be happy if rivals Schalke do end up going down this season, but only for a year.
In an interview with Sport1, Großkreutz was asked about Schalke’s current situation and said that the whole of Dortmund will celebrate if they are relegated to the second division.
"“Of course I would be happy for one year, we don’t even have to talk about that,” Großkreutz said. “I think all of Dortmund will celebrate, everyone would be happy if Schalke had to be relegated. That was also the case in the past, when the Blues hoped that we would be relegated in 2007, when we were in a bad phase.”“But after a year or two, the derby will certainly be missed. The Blues have done a lot wrong, they are responsible for that themselves. It’s certainly difficult for them, but that’s not my problem.”"
Schalke’s season so far has been nothing short of a nightmare. Less than two years ago, they were playing in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. But now relegation looks like a distinct possibility for them. They are currently six points behind Arminia Bielefeld, who hold the relegation play-offs spot.
Schalke recently announced the departure of head coach Manuel Baum. Former Tottenham Hotspur and Stuttgart head coach Christian Groß is set to take over in January. He will become their fourth trainer of the season.
Next. Borussia Dortmund's five most memorable derby clashes against Schalke. dark
As a player, Großkreutz loved playing against the Gelsenkirchen-based club. The 2014 FIFA World Cup winner made 236 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, scoring 27 goals and providing 37 assists.