Dimitrios Grammozis has succeeded Christian Gross as Schalke head coach on deal through to summer 2022.

The 42-year-old - who is Schalke's fifth coach this season after David Wagner, Manuel Baum, Huub Stevens and Gross - will take charge of the Royal Blues for the first time in Friday’s relegation six-pointer at home to Mainz.

"We're convinced that in Dimitrios Grammozis we have found the right coach for the last third of the season," explained Schalke director of development, Peter Knäbel.

"We're acutely aware of the sporting situation, but there are still eleven Bundesliga games to play - and we want to play them as successfully as possible.

"From our point of view, Dimitrios is the right choice, both professionally and personally."

Grammozis played in Germany and Greece as a player, before turning to coaching in 2014 with Bochum. After working with the reserves, youths and as first-team assistant, he obtained his professional coaching license in March 2018.

The Wuppertal native took charge of Bundesliga 2 outfit Darmstadt in February 2019, winning 20 and drawing 15 of his 47 competitive matches at the helm. The club finished fifth last season, three points shy of the promotion play-off spot.

Schalke, who have recorded one league win in the last 12 months, are bottom of the Bundesliga with 11 rounds of fixtures remaining. The Royal Blues are eight points behind second-bottom Mainz and nine adrift of Arminia Bielefeld in the relegation play-off spot, albeit with a vastly inferior goal difference.

"I'm really up for the challenge," Grammozis told the Schalke website. "I'll use the short time until the first league game to get a comprehensive picture of the team with my coaching staff – and of course we want to start with a win against Mainz."

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