Muslic takes responsibility after Schalke suffer late defeat to Freiburg

FC Schalke 04 head coach Miron Muslic has taken responsibility for his side’s 2-1 defeat to SC Freiburg, admitting that his tactical decisions contributed to the visitors’ failure to capitalise on their numerical advantage.

Miron Muslic accepts responsibility for Schalke defeat in Freiburg

Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images

Schalke looked well placed to leave the Europa-Park Stadion with a positive result on Sunday evening after Yuito Suzuki was sent off in the 64th minute. However, despite playing against ten men for the closing stages, the Royal Blues conceded a late winner to Keisuke Goto, leaving them empty-handed.

Speaking after the game, Muslic was candid in his assessment of the defeat, admitting that he had made a mistake with his tactical adjustments following Freiburg’s dismissal.

“The game changed drastically for us after the red card. We had everything under control and felt that there were more points available,” Muslic explained.

“Then I changed the structure and made a mistake. The team couldn’t deal with that.”

The Schalke coach went on to accept responsibility for the outcome, expressing his disappointment at missing out on what he believed was a valuable opportunity to take points from one of the Bundesliga’s in-form sides.

“I’m very disappointed because a point was absolutely there for the taking today. I have to take responsibility for this defeat tactically,” he admitted.

Muslic explains his tactical changes

Following Suzuki’s dismissal, Muslic opted to make more attacking substitutions in an attempt to take advantage of Freiburg’s reduced numbers.

Edin Džeko was introduced for Junior Adamu, before Hee-chan Hwang and Adil Aouchiche also entered the contest. Schalke subsequently moved from a back three to a 4-2-3-1 formation, seeking to turn their numerical advantage into a winning goal.

However, the changes ultimately failed to produce the desired effect. Freiburg regained momentum and punished Schalke in the 85th minute, with substitute Vincenzo Grifo delivering a cross for Goto to head home.

Muslic explained that his intention had been to capitalise on the opportunity to secure all three points, but acknowledged that the tactical adjustment had disrupted his team’s organisation.

“We wanted to make use of the momentum. It felt as though there was an opportunity to take all three points. Unfortunately, we lost our structure and our way of playing,” he said.

Freiburg coach praises Muslic’s honesty

Muslic’s willingness to accept responsibility also earned praise from his opposite number, Julian Schuster, who was impressed by the Schalke coach’s post-match assessment.

“I have rarely experienced a coach choosing exactly those words,” Schuster remarked, describing Muslic’s admission as a sign of genuine character.

The Schalke coach, meanwhile, insisted that the experience must serve as a learning opportunity for both himself and his players as they continue their development this season.

“These are lessons for us as a team and for me personally. We are eager to learn and continue to develop,” Muslic added.

The defeat leaves Schalke frustrated after a match in which they had a genuine opportunity to take points from Freiburg. For Muslic, however, the immediate focus will be on ensuring his side learns from the late setback, with Mainz 05 next up on Saturday.