# List of FC Schalke 04 managers

Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V. is a German football club based in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Since 1925, there have been fifty-six official managers, with the current incumbent, Karel Geraerts, appointed on 9 October 2023.
Statistically, the club's most successful manager is Ralf Rangnick, during his first spell at the club, with a win percentage of 55.38. However, the club's most successful period came in the 1930s and the early 1940s, under the tenureship of Hans Schmidt and Otto Faist. It is likely Schmidt is actually the club's most successful manager, given the dominance that Schalke had at the time, but this cannot be proven due to the lack of statistics.

## Managerial history

Although the club was founded in 1904, its first official manager was Heinz Ludewig, who was appointed in 1925. Schalke attained success through their style of play that used short, sharp, man-to-man passing to move the ball, later becoming famously known as the Schalker Kreisel. With the re-organisation of German football in 1933, under Nazi Germany, Schalke were placed in the Gauliga Westfalen. This period was their most successful decade in their history: from 1933 to 1942, the club would appear in 14 of 18 national finals (10 in the German championship and 8 in the Tschammerpokal) and win their league in every one of its eleven seasons.
After World War II, Schalke found it difficult to return to their earlier form, playing just twice in 1945. Club legends Ernst Kuzorra and Fritz Szepan managed the team during this period. They did gain some silverware towards the end of the 1950s, with the club winning the German championship in 1958, during Edi Frühwirth's tenureship. This however, has been the last championship won by the club, as Schalke have not won the Bundesliga since its inception in 1963.
Under Ivica Horvat, the club was close to winning the Bundesliga, finishing runners-up to Bayern Munich by three points in 1972, having led the league for most of the season. They did however, win the DFB-Pokal in the same season. The club was affected by the Bundesliga scandal of 1971, with several of its players banned for life. Though these sentences were later rescinded and commuted to bans ranging from six months to two years, the scandal had a profound effect on what might have possibly become one of the dominant German teams of the 1970s. In the 1980s, the club ran into trouble and were twice relegated to the 2.Bundesliga during the decade, firstly in 1983 under Jürgen Sundermann, and secondly in 1988 under Horst Franz.
Schalke returned to the Bundesliga in 1992, where they have remained ever since. Their most notable success in the 1990s was winning the UEFA Cup in 1997 under the guidance of Dutchman Huub Stevens. In the 2000s, and with Stevens still in charge, the club endured a similar season to 1972, with Schalke leading the league for most of the season, only to lose it again to Bayern, this time on goal difference. Like the 1971–72 season, the club won the DFB-Pokal cup. Afterwards, Schalke would be runners-up on three occasions, under Ralf Rangnick, Mirko Slomka and Felix Magath respectively, and were a regular competitor in the UEFA Champions League, reaching the semi-finals in 2011, during Rangnick's second spell with the club.

## Managerial statistics
### Pre-Bundesliga era

| Name | From | To | Honours |
| Heinz Ludewig | 3 April 1925 | 18 June 1927 | Western German football championship runners-up (1927) |
| Guggi Wieser | 19 June 1927 | 30 June 1929 | 1 Western German football championship (1929) |
| Kurt Otto | 1 July 1929 | 30 June 1930 | 1 Western German football championship (1930) |
| August Sobottka | 1 July 1930 | 30 June 1931 | |
| Hans Sauerwein | 1 July 1931 | 30 June 1932 | 1 Western German football championship (1932) |
| Kurt Otto | 1 July 1932 | 30 June 1933 | 1 Western German football championship (1933) |
| Hans Schmidt | 1 July 1933 | 12 June 1938 | 3 German championships (1934, 1935, 1937) German championship runners-up (1933, 1938) 5 Gauliga Westfalen championships (1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938) 1 Tschammerpokal (1937); runners-up (1935, 1936) |
| Otto Faist | 13 July 1938 | 31 December 1942 | 3 German championships (1939, 1940, 1942) German championship runners-up (1941) 4 Gauliga Westfalen championships (1939, 1940, 1941, 1942) Tschammerpokal runners-up (1941, 1942) |
| Ernst Kuzorra | 1 July 1946 | 30 September 1947 | |
| Willi Schäfer | 1 October 1947 | 30 June 1948 | |
| Theo Langl | 1 July 1948 | 31 October 1948 | |
| Ferdl Swatosch | 1 November 1948 | 30 June 1949 | |
| Fritz Szepan | 1 July 1949 | 30 June 1954 | 1 Oberliga West championship (1951); runners-up (1952) |
| Edi Frühwirth | 1 July 1954 | 30 June 1959 | 1 German championship (1958) 1 Oberliga West championship (1958); runners-up (1956) DFB-Pokal runners-up (1955) |
| Nandor Lengyel | 1 July 1959 | 30 June 1960 | |
| Georg Gawliczek | 1 July 1960 | 30 June 1963 | Oberliga West runners-up (1962) |

### Bundesliga era
#### Key

* Nat. = Nationality
* M = Matches managed
* W = Matches won
* D = Matches drawn
* L = Matches lost
* Win% = Win ratio
Information correct as of 11 March 2025. Only competitive matches are counted.
| Name | Nat. | From | To | Duration | M | W | D | L | Win% | Honours |
| Georg Gawliczek | | 1 July 1963 | 4 May 1964 | 308 days | 31 | 14 | 4 | 13 | 045.16 | |
| Fritz Langner | | 4 May 1964 | 5 June 1967 | 3 years, 32 days | 109 | 35 | 22 | 52 | 032.11 | |
| Karl-Heinz Marotzke | | 1 July 1967 | 13 November 1967 | 135 days | 13 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 007.69 | |
| Günter Brocker | | 14 November 1967 | 17 November 1968 | 1 year, 3 days | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 039.47 | |
| Rudi Gutendorf | | 23 November 1968 | 8 September 1970 | 1 year, 289 days | 74 | 32 | 22 | 20 | 043.24 | DFB-Pokal runners-up (1968–69) |
| Slobodan Čendić | | 8 September 1970 | 30 June 1971 | 295 days | 35 | 16 | 6 | 13 | 045.71 | |
| Ivica Horvat | | 1 July 1971 | 30 June 1975 | 3 years, 364 days | 169 | 87 | 29 | 53 | 051.48 | Bundesliga runners-up (1971–72) 1 DFB-Pokal (1971–72) |
| Max Merkel | | 1 July 1975 | 9 March 1976 | 252 days | 25 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 036.00 | |
| Friedel Rausch | | 10 March 1976 | 20 December 1977 | 1 year, 285 days | 85 | 43 | 20 | 22 | 050.59 | Bundesliga runners-up (1976–77) |
| Uli Maslo | | 21 December 1977 | 30 June 1978 | 191 days | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 037.50 | |
| Ivica Horvat | | 1 July 1978 | 17 March 1979 | 259 days | 24 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 033.33 | |
| Gyula Lóránt | | 19 March 1979 | 3 December 1979 | 259 days | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 036.67 | |
| Dietmar Schwager | | 4 December 1979 | 20 April 1980 | 138 days | 17 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 047.06 | |
| Fahrudin Jusufi | | 21 April 1980 | 25 May 1981 | 1 year, 34 days | 38 | 9 | 7 | 22 | 023.68 | |
| Rudi Assauer (a.i.) | | 26 May 1981 | 30 June 1981 | 35 days | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 000.00 | |
| Sigfried Held | | 1 July 1981 | 20 January 1983 | 1 year, 203 days | 59 | 24 | 18 | 17 | 040.68 | 2. Bundesliga champions (1981–82) |
| Rudi Assauer (a.i.) | | 20 January 1983 | 24 January 1983 | 4 days | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 000.00 | |
| Jürgen Sundermann | | 24 January 1983 | 30 June 1983 | 157 days | 20 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 030.00 | |
| Diethelm Ferner | | 1 July 1983 | 30 June 1986 | 2 years, 364 days | 121 | 56 | 28 | 37 | 046.28 | 2. Bundesliga runners-up (1983–84) |
| Rolf Schafstall | | 1 July 1986 | 7 December 1987 | 1 year, 159 days | 54 | 17 | 11 | 26 | 031.48 | |
| Horst Franz | | 27 December 1987 | 17 September 1988 | 265 days | 27 | 5 | 7 | 15 | 018.52 | |
| Diethelm Ferner | | 20 September 1988 | 2 April 1989 | 194 days | 20 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 030.00 | |
| Helmut Kremers (a.i.) | | 2 April 1989 | 10 April 1989 | 8 days | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| Peter Neururer | | 10 April 1989 | 13 November 1990 | 1 year, 217 days | 69 | 35 | 16 | 18 | 050.72 | |
| Klaus Fischer (a.i.) | | 13 November 1990 | 31 December 1990 | 48 days | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 020.00 | |
| Aleksandar Ristić | | 1 January 1991 | 30 April 1992 | 1 year, 120 days | 52 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 038.46 | 2. Bundesliga champions (1990–91) |
| Klaus Fischer (a.i.) | | 1 May 1992 | 30 June 1992 | 60 days | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 050.00 | |
| Udo Lattek | | 1 July 1992 | 16 January 1993 | 199 days | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 031.58 | |
| Helmut Schulte | | 18 January 1993 | 11 October 1993 | 266 days | 30 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 026.67 | |
| Jörg Berger | | 11 October 1993 | 5 October 1996 | 2 years, 360 days | 110 | 42 | 36 | 32 | 038.18 | |
| Hubert Neu (a.i.) | | 5 October 1996 | 8 October 1996 | 3 days | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.00 | |
| Huub Stevens | | 8 October 1996 | 30 June 2002 | 5 years, 265 days | 242 | 105 | 65 | 72 | 043.39 | Bundesliga runners-up (2000–01) 2 DFB-Pokals (2000–01, 2001–02) 1 UEFA Cup (1997) |
| Frank Neubarth | | 1 July 2002 | 26 March 2003 | 268 days | 37 | 15 | 15 | 7 | 040.54 | |
| Marc Wilmots (a.i.) | | 26 March 2003 | 30 June 2003 | 96 days | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 037.50 | |
| Jupp Heynckes | | 1 July 2003 | 15 September 2004 | 1 year, 76 days | 57 | 28 | 14 | 15 | 049.12 | |
| Eddy Achterberg (a.i.) | | 15 September 2004 | 28 September 2004 | 13 days | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 050.00 | |
| Ralf Rangnick | | 28 September 2004 | 12 December 2005 | 1 year, 75 days | 65 | 36 | 15 | 14 | 055.38 | Bundesliga runners-up (2004–05) DFB-Pokal runners-up (2004–05) 1 DFL-Ligapokal (2005) |
| Oliver Reck (a.i.) | | 13 December 2005 | 3 January 2006 | 21 days | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.00 | |
| Mirko Slomka | | 4 January 2006 | 13 April 2008 | 2 years, 100 days | 109 | 55 | 28 | 26 | 050.46 | Bundesliga runners-up (2006–07) |
| Mike Büskens (a.i.) | | 13 April 2008 | 30 June 2008 | 78 days | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 083.33 | |
| Fred Rutten | | 1 July 2008 | 26 March 2009 | 268 days | 37 | 16 | 9 | 12 | 043.24 | |
| Mike Büskens (a.i.) | | 27 March 2009 | 30 June 2009 | 95 days | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 044.44 | |
| Felix Magath | | 1 July 2009 | 16 March 2011 | 1 year, 258 days | 79 | 42 | 16 | 21 | 053.16 | Bundesliga runners-up (2009–10) 1 DFL-Supercup (2010) |
| Seppo Eichkorn (a.i.) | | 16 March 2011 | 20 March 2011 | 4 days | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.00 | |
| Ralf Rangnick | | 21 March 2011 | 22 September 2011 | 186 days | 23 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 043.48 | 1 DFB-Pokal (2010–11) 1 DFL-Supercup (2010 |
| Seppo Eichkorn (a.i.) | | 22 September 2011 | 27 September 2011 | 5 days | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 066.67 | |
| Huub Stevens | | 27 September 2011 | 16 December 2012 | 1 year, 80 days | 63 | 34 | 14 | 15 | 053.97 | |
| Jens Keller | | 16 December 2012 | 7 October 2014 | 1 year, 295 days | 77 | 36 | 16 | 25 | 046.75 | |
| Roberto Di Matteo | | 7 October 2014 | 26 May 2015 | 231 days | 33 | 14 | 7 | 12 | 042.42 | |
| André Breitenreiter | | 12 June 2015 | 14 May 2016 | 337 days | 44 | 20 | 10 | 14 | 045.45 | |
| Markus Weinzierl | | 2 June 2016 | 9 June 2017 | 1 year, 7 days | 50 | 21 | 13 | 16 | 042.00 | |
| Domenico Tedesco | / | 9 June 2017 | 14 March 2019 | 1 year, 278 days | 75 | 33 | 17 | 25 | 044.00 | Bundesliga runners-up (2017–18) |
| Huub Stevens (a.i.) | | 14 March 2019 | 30 June 2019 | 108 days | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 020.00 | |
| David Wagner | / | 1 July 2019 | 27 September 2020 | 1 year, 88 days | 40 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 030.00 | |
| Manuel Baum | | 30 September 2020 | 18 December 2020 | 79 days | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 009.09 | |
| Huub Stevens (a.i.) | | 18 December 2020 | 22 December 2020 | 4 days | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 050.00 | |
| Christian Gross | | 27 December 2020 | 28 February 2021 | 63 days | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 009.09 | |
| Dimitrios Grammozis | | 2 March 2021 | 6 March 2022 | 1 year, 4 days | 38 | 15 | 6 | 17 | 039.47 | |
| Mike Büskens (a.i.) | | 7 March 2022 | 15 May 2022 | 69 days | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 088.89 | 2. Bundesliga champions (2021–22) |
| Frank Kramer | | 7 June 2022 | 19 October 2022 | 134 days | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 016.67 | |
| Matthias Kreutzer (a.i.) | | 20 October 2022 | 27 October 2022 | 7 days | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.00 | |
| Thomas Reis | | 27 October 2022 | 27 September 2023 | 335 days | 31 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 029.03 | |
| Matthias Kreutzer (a.i.) | | 27 September 2023 | 8 October 2023 | 11 days | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 000.00 | |
| Karel Geraerts | | 9 October 2023 | 21 September 2024 | 348 days | 33 | 12 | 7 | 14 | 036.36 | |
| Jakob Fimpel (a.i.) | | 21 September 2024 | 5 October 2024 | 14 days | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 050.00 | |
| Kees van Wonderen | | 6 October 2024 | | 156 days | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 038.89 | |

#### Most league matches

| Rk | Manager | Nat. | Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | Bundesliga | Bundesliga | Bundesliga | Bundesliga | Bundesliga | 2. Bundesliga | 2. Bundesliga | 2. Bundesliga | 2. Bundesliga | 2. Bundesliga | Years |
| Rk | Manager | Nat. | M | W | D | L | P | M | W | D | L | P | M | W | D | L | P | Years |
| 1 | Huub Stevens | | 249 | 101 | 72 | 76 | 1.51 | 249 | 101 | 72 | 76 | 1.51 | – | – | – | – | – | 1996–2002, 2011–2012, 2019, 2020 |
| 2 | Ivica Horvat | | 157 | 72 | 30 | 55 | 1.57 | 157 | 72 | 30 | 55 | 1.57 | – | – | – | – | – | 1971–1975, 1978–1979 |
| 3 | Diethelm Ferner | | 123 | 52 | 31 | 40 | 1.52 | 68 | 24 | 16 | 28 | 1.29 | 55 | 28 | 15 | 12 | 1.80 | 1983–1986, 1988–1989 |
| 4 | Jörg Berger | | 99 | 35 | 35 | 29 | 1.41 | 99 | 35 | 35 | 29 | 1.41 | – | – | – | – | – | 1993–1996 |
| 4 | Fritz Langner | | 99 | 29 | 22 | 48 | 1.10 | 99 | 29 | 22 | 48 | 1.10 | – | – | – | – | – | 1964–1967 |
| 6 | Mirko Slomka | | 79 | 42 | 20 | 17 | 1.85 | 79 | 42 | 20 | 17 | 1.85 | – | – | – | – | – | 2006–2008 |
| 7 | Peter Neururer | | 66 | 33 | 16 | 17 | 1.74 | – | – | – | – | – | 66 | 33 | 16 | 17 | 1.74 | 1989–1990 |
| 8 | Friedel Rausch | | 65 | 31 | 16 | 18 | 1.68 | 65 | 31 | 16 | 18 | 1.68 | – | – | – | – | – | 1976–1977 |
| 9 | Felix Magath | | 60 | 28 | 14 | 18 | 1.63 | 60 | 28 | 14 | 18 | 1.63 | – | – | – | – | – | 2009–2011 |
| 10 | Domenico Tedesco | | 59 | 24 | 14 | 21 | 1.46 | 59 | 24 | 14 | 21 | 1.46 | – | – | – | – | – | 2017–2019 |
| 11 | Jens Keller | | 58 | 30 | 12 | 16 | 1.76 | 58 | 30 | 12 | 16 | 1.76 | – | – | – | – | – | 2012–2014 |
| 12 | Ralf Rangnick | | 57 | 31 | 11 | 15 | 1.82 | 57 | 31 | 11 | 15 | 1.82 | – | – | – | – | – | 2004–2005, 2011 |
| 12 | Rudi Gutendorf | | 57 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 1.49 | 57 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 1.49 | – | – | – | – | – | 1968–1970 |
| 14 | Sigfried Held | | 55 | 22 | 17 | 16 | 1.51 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 0.76 | 38 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 1.84 | 1981–1982 |
| 15 | Rolf Schafstall | | 52 | 17 | 11 | 24 | 1.19 | 52 | 17 | 11 | 24 | 1.19 | – | – | – | – | – | 1986–1987 |
| 16 | Aleksandar Ristić | | 51 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 1.51 | 34 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 1.15 | 17 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 2.24 | 1991–1992 |
| Minimum 50 total league matches |||||||||||||||||||
* 1 2 3 Points per game based on the three-point-per-win rule