Schalke have reacted to their disappointing start to the Bundesliga 2 season by sacking head coach Thomas Reis.

Relegated from the Bundesliga at the end of 2022/23, the Royal Blues currently sit third from bottom in the second tier, having collected just seven points from as many games.

"Following our comeback win against Magdeburg we had expected to see further progress away against FC St. Pauli. Instead, we witnessed another step in the wrong direction," explained Schalke sporting director Peter Knäbel.

"We've used these past few days to discuss things and came to the conclusion that this step needed to be taken for the good of the club. Our aim is to buck the negative trend that has developed since the start of the season."

Reis oversaw 31 matches as Schalke coach, after stepping in to replace Frank Kramer last October. He oversaw nine wins (D8 L14), albeit only three since the start of the new campaign.

Assistant coach Matthias Kreuzer has been placed in interim charge for "at least" Friday's meeting with Paderborn.

"Everything I say has to have an effect because we don't have much time and can only influence what’s in our own hands," said the 40-year-old. "We're all required to look at ourselves in the mirror, switch our focus to Paderborn and to not waste our energy on our other things."

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Schalke travel to 15th-placed Paderborn with just a two-point cushion on the automatic relegation zone, and six to make up on the promotion places.

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