Simon Terodde will not extend his contract at Schalke | OneFootball

Schalke have announced that Simon Terodde will not extend his contract at the club with his current deal expiring in the summer.

On why he came to this decision Terodde said: “In the past weeks, there has been a lot of speculation in the media about my future. This is a topic that neither the club nor I need in these crucial weeks. Therefore, I would like to announce now that my time at Schalke 04 will definitely end in the summer. My time here was very emotional, marked by some great and intense moments that I will remember forever. Now I would like to write my last chapter at Schalke with my teammates and ultimately say goodbye with us staying in the league.”

Schalke’s director of sport Peter Knäbel also spoke on Terodde’s decision: “Everyone knows about my close relationship with Simon Terodde. In 2021, in a very difficult situation, he showed his commitment to Schalke 04 and the task of promotion when hardly anyone believed in it. And then, just over a year later, he celebrated his return to the Bundesliga as the record goal-scorer in the 2. Bundesliga and became part of FC Schalke 04’s long club history. He has once again proven what an impressive sportsman and person he is. To take this step now in order to contest the final weeks of the season in a free and focused manner, not many would do that. Simon is very important for our team and I am sure that he will give everything to say goodbye to Schalke 04 still as a Bundesliga player.”

Since helping Schalke gain promotion to the Bundesliga last season, Terodde has struggled in the Bundesliga to match his form, the 35-year-old has only scored three times in 26 appearances for Schalke this season. Compared to last season where he was able to score 30 goals in 30 appearances in the 2.Bundesliga.

This underperformance in the Bundesliga is a common theme in Terodde’s career. He has helped VfB Stuttgart, 1.FC Köln and Schalke all gain promotion to the Bundesliga but he always struggled with the transition. However, due to his goalscoring with the aforementioned clubs as well as the likes of Hamburg and Bochum, Terodde is the all-time top goalscorer in the 2. Bundesliga with 172 goals.

What Terodde does next is unknown, due to his age it may be plausible for him to retire, but he could also give the 2. Bundesliga another go before he ultimately does retire.

GGFN | Jack Meenan