Schalke had buried its financial problems, and no one even suspected they would fight for promotion to the Bundesliga, but then our brilliant coach arrived and turned a club predicted to battle for survival into a machine that needs just one win in the remaining three rounds to officially secure a spot in the elite tier of German football.
Portal Welt summarized Schalke's season this morning, dedicating the text to Muslić, whom they clearly highlight as the main architect of this unexpected success.
"Muslić understands how Schalke functions," is the title of this text, which reveals that this is precisely the reason for the success of the famous Miners from Gelsenkirchen.
"If God wills, we will take this final step together," Muslić stated after the match, thus announcing the duel with Fortuna Düsseldorf in the next round. He appeared determined, but also deeply moved.
Welt notes that there are many reasons for the transformation Schalke has undergone in less than eleven months. One of them is the return of Frank Baumann as the club's sporting director, but then it discusses the key factor of success.
"But if there is one overarching factor, it is Muslić—the first Schalke head coach in a long time who fits well into this club and its enthusiastic, yet challenging environment," says Welt.
There was considerable skepticism when Baumann signed a contract with Muslić at the end of May 2025. No one knew what to think of this coach, who had recently worked for English Championship club Plymouth Argyle. Who is Miron? But it quickly became clear that this could be a promising match. The first indicator: the way Muslić perceived Schalke and how he embraced the club with all his heart.
"The moment I took the first step through the tunnel onto the pitch, everything clicked. I will never forget that: the intensity, the strength, the sheer power. Then I knew: this could be a huge advantage for us," Muslić said after entering the full Schalke Arena before the first match of the season against Hertha BSC.
Welt states that Muslić immediately understood what the key to success at Schalke was and adapted to it excellently—how to harness emotions in front of 60,000 fans at every match.
"Muslić, however, was concerned about something else. He quickly realized that emotions at Schalke are a bigger factor than elsewhere. It is crucial to harness them. He reiterated this point on Sunday in Paderborn. 'Emotional control has been key in the last few months; otherwise, you cannot stabilize this giant and steer it in the right direction,' he explained. He succeeded in this like few other Schalke coaches in recent decades. His calculation was: if the team gives the impression in every match that it is pushing to its physical limits, it will be carried along," writes Welt.
Also, according to Welt, the key to success occurred during January. When Muslić got through the first half-season with a modest team and a solid defense fueled by emotion, he then decided he could no longer continue that way and that the squad needed reinforcement.
"Thus, the limited available resources were used to strengthen the defense. Nikola Katić, Hasan Kuracay, Timo Becker—the key signings last summer were defenders. Muslić built a wall. Schalke became the autumn champion, conceding only ten goals. But would that alone be enough for a major breakthrough?" writes Welt, explaining:
"In January, we realized: This won't work anymore. We had to take the next step," Muslić explained. Improvements were made. With Edin Džeko, Dejan Ljubičić, Adil Aouchiche, and Ndiaye, goal threat and creativity entered the game. The transformation of their playing style happened in the blink of an eye: The winter signings found a cohesive unit. Since then, Schalke has played completely differently—but just as successfully," it adds.
They also added that the traumatic experience of fleeing the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, when he was a nine-year-old boy, shaped his character.
"Resilience matches my character, but it also fits perfectly with Schalke. Here, too, everything meets resistance. But the people here are the ones who fight against it," Muslić once said, long ago, after taking over Schalke.
The text concluded with another tribute to our coach: "Schalke is on the verge of winning this battle. They would not have succeeded without Miron Muslić."