Roberto Di Matteo resigned from Schalke on Tuesday after the Italian said a difference of opinion over plans for next season made it impossible for him to see out his contract, which had been due to end in 2017.
The former Chelsea coach took over the Ruhr valley club in October but ended a disappointing sixth in the Bundesliga, failing to achieve his stated target of securing a place in next season’s Champions League.
“[The director of sport] Horst Heldt and myself did not only discuss the past seven months but also next season,” Di Matteo said in a club statement. “I offered a plan for a possible successful future and what the conditions for that would need to be. It became clear that the club had a different emphasis.”
Di Matteo, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012, said that his differences with Heldt meant it was better for both the club and himself to part ways and start afresh. “This is why I decided to resign from my position as head coach,” he said.
Club officials added that at no point was Di Matteo sacked or forced to leave, as several reportshad claimed after Saturday’s 2-0 loss against Hamburg SV. Heldt said: “Reports on Sunday – that he was sacked – did not correspond to facts.”
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