By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Time couldn't be better for FC Schalke to meet their old rival Borussia Dortmund this Saturday afternoon in the 151st "Revierderby".
For the first time in over two and a half years, the Royal Blues find themselves above the Blacks and Yellows in the Bundesliga's standings. Fans are excited about the chance to be the regions number one, but precisely that attitude is the clubs most significant problem.
Traditionally emotions come to a climax when the best clubs from the Ruhr region (in German called Revier) in Germany's far west are crossings swords.
Over the years Schalke and their fans developed an inferiority complex as Dortmund were the more successful club having won the national titles 2002, 2011 and 2012. Schalke won its last national title 1958, five years before the Bundesliga start in 1963.
Schalke are Germany's number one in football when it comes to exaggerated emotionality. For some overdriven emotions are responsible for the side's failure as far as the national title is concerned.
Since August 2017 an inexperienced young Bundesliga newcomer seems to change things for Schalke as 32-year-old Domenico Tedesco stands for a pragmatic coaching style and attitude. Fans and pundits are excited to see how far the paradigm shift will take the club.
Sports director Christian Heidel has been trying to turn things inside-out since he joined the club two years ago but failed in his first year, having to fire former coach Markus Weinzierl.
"We need to address the needs of modern football," the former car dealer quoted. Heidel enforced investments in the clubs infrastructure and youth education.
When talking about Tedesco, many in the 143.000 member side are reminded of Huub Steven. The Dutchman is seen as the clubs most successful coach achieving the UEFA-Cup victory in 1997 with footballs finest pragmatism and the teams' obligation to keep their goal clean.
The reward of the style revival: The current squad lost none of his seven last games. The team does not stand for exciting but successful football.
Tedesco seems to be the first since Stevens to keep emotions in check as he thought his squad to trust in stability first instead of trying to dream of a football festival. The former Hoffenheim youth coach implemented a back-row of three changing into a row of five when losing the ball, with two defensive midfielders ahead of the last line.
Meanwhile, Schalke are counting on the league's second-best defense and seem to be the counter-concept to rivals Dortmund with their risky open system of constant pressing and a defense operating far away from their own goal.
Other than Dortmund, Schalke are currently enjoying life in the sunshine and returning to their rightful place among the country's leading clubs after twelve rounds of matches. It might be too early to celebrate for Schalke, but the trend seems to be good company.
It might sound strange to outsiders, but many Schalke fans still don't regard a season-ending on position ten as really bad as long as two victories against Dortmund are part of the campaign and Schalke are the number one in the Revier.
An attitude the club has been following for decades, in the end, providing dramas and tears instead of titles. That might be another reason for the clubs inconsistency.
"I am not interested in being the number one in the Revier," Tedesco stressed. "We have to improve our game without always taking a look at the tableau."
In 1992, Schalke's fans celebrated the first German title for four minutes and 38 seconds and then lost it to Bayern Munich. Unterhaching had been beaten 5-3 and Bayern were losing 1-0 in Hamburg with only added time left. The Bavarians promptly equalized to pip Schalke to the title in the dying seconds. From then on the club from the river Ruhr were known as the "Champion of the Hearts".
Despite their UEFA Cup victory in 1997, the club was shaken continuously by internal strife and hired and fired managers with alarming regularity - almost as if it was their only purpose in life.
Now all hopes last on Tedesco and his new pragmatism. Due to the current success Schalke are enthusiastically riding the wave. The question is how long does happiness last for this time?
At the end of the 2017-18 season, rebooted Schalke might not have reason to celebrate their first German Championship as Bayern Munich are on their way to win the sixth consecutive title. But to directly qualify for the Champions League as the Bundesliga's runners-up would make all Royal Blues happy as it would mean to leave Dortmund behind.
