Schalke chairman quits after winless run and coronavirus cases

The chairman of German soccer club Schalke stepped down Tuesday after bowing to increasing pressure following a huge outbreak of coronavirus infections at one of his company's slaughterhouses.

Schalke fans had been calling for 64-year-old billionaire Clemens Tnnies's resignation since he made racist comments about Africans at a public meeting in Paderborn last August.

Tnnies leaves after 26 years on the board of the Bundesliga club and 19 as chairman.

On Saturday, up to 1,500 Schalke supporters formed a socially distanced human chain near the club's stadium to protest against its management as the team slumped to a 4-0 loss to Freiburg. The result extended the club's longest Bundesliga run without a win to 16 games.

But the outbreak of about 1,400 cases of COVID-19 at the Tnnies Group's slaughterhouse in his hometown of Rheda-Wiedenbrck was the main reason for the fans' anger. 

The outbreak led to a spike of cases in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, leading to lockdowns in local counties where the mostly Eastern European slaughterhouse workers lived. It also placed a spotlight on their often dire workplace and living conditions.

Banners with messages including "No exploitation at Schalke  Tnnies out!" and "No racists at Schalke!" were displayed by fans on Saturday.

"We think the club needs a complete new start to make Schalke 04, Schalke 04 again," said Sven Schneider, the chairman of the fan club against racism and discrimination.

In a statement, Schalke and some of its board members praised Tnnies for his passion for the club and his role in developing the stadium and youth facilities.

They made no mention of why he was stepping down, nor was there any hint of criticism for their former chairman.

"We know how difficult it was for him to make this decision, so it deserves our utmost respect," board members Alexander Jobst and Jochen Schneider said.

Vice chairman Jens Buchta said the club "very much regrets Clemens Tnnies' decision." 

Schalke had already postponed a news conference from Monday to Wednesday. It was supposed to reflect on a season that started promisingly under coach David Wagner before ending in farce.

Schalke's fall began with a 5-0 loss at eventual champion Bayern Munich in January. The team did not win a game since, finishing in 12th place in the 18-team division. 

Image credits: AP