BERLIN, Feb. 13-- Former Huddersfield hero David Wagner intends to lead struggling Bundesliga side Schalke 04 back to glory, he told Xinhua on Thursday. The 48-year-old mentioned a time frame of three years for the Royal Blues to again take part in a European competition. "Not many clubs have our emotional power, but at the same time, not many have our inconsistency," he said. To face its challenges, Schalke needs "forwarding thinking and perspectives." Schalke is in the right way after disappointing years, he emphasized. Wagner spoke about Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp's influence on his career and said: "when we talk about football, we talk like close friends." Wagner has been Klopp's best-man, while Klopp is the godfather of Wagner's daughter. CHALLENGES AHEAD To revitalize struggling Schalke might be the toughest job in his career. But the 1997 Euro League winner (with Schalke) is aware of the challenge, to take over one of the most emotional clubs in Germany. Schalke last season narrowly escaped relegation. Fans now pin their hopes on Wagner. "The main reason for football clubs to be successful in terms of titles is consistency. That didn't work for Schalke too good as many forces are acting around the club." To create stability is his primary target. "People might dream of short-term success, but we need to act from a realistic basis. Since we started last summer, we try to deliver a decent picture and not dreamwork." |