Are you of legal age?

YES NO

Confirm if you are 18 years old

Bets
Usuario
User
Usuario Login or register
  • Matches
  • News
  • Explore
  • Competitions
  • Teams
  • Players
  • Transfers
  • Find Match
  • Televised
  • Favourites
  • Ajustes Settings
  • Ajustes Languages
    • Most visited matches
    • Ilves
      Ilves
      4 - 3
      AZ Alkmaar
      AZ Alkmaar
      24 Jul. 2025
    • Sheriff
      Sheriff

      19:00

      Utrecht
      Utrecht
      24 Jul. 2025
    • FC Aktobe
      FC Aktobe
      2 - 1
      Sparta Praha
      Sparta Praha
      24 Jul. 2025
    • Baník Ostrava
      Baník Ostrava

      19:00

      Legia Warszawa
      Legia Warszawa
      24 Jul. 2025
    • Midtjylland
      Midtjylland

      19:30

      Hibernian FC
      Hibernian FC
      24 Jul. 2025
    • Most searched competitions
    • LaLiga

      LaLiga

      Round 1

      ic_search_competition_g
    • Premier League

      Premier League

      Round 1

      ic_search_competition_g
    • Série A

      Série A

      Round 16

      ic_search_competition_g
    • Champions League

      Champions League

      Final

      ic_search_competition_g
    • Most searched players
    • C. Mosquera

      C. Mosquera

      country D CB

      ic_search_player_g
    • M. Rashford

      M. Rashford

      country F LW

      ic_search_player_g
    • Rodrygo

      Rodrygo

      country F RW

      ic_search_player_g
    • Tammy Abraham

      Tammy Abraham

      country F ST

      ic_search_player_g
    • Alisson Santana

      Alisson Santana

      country F RW

      ic_search_player_g
    • Most searched teams
    • Barcelona

      Barcelona

      country LaLiga

      ic_search_team_g
    • Real Madrid

      Real Madrid

      country LaLiga

      ic_search_team_g
    • Arsenal

      Arsenal

      country Premier League

      ic_search_team_g
    • Liverpool

      Liverpool

      country Premier League

      ic_search_team_g
    • Manchester United

      Manchester United

      country Premier League

      ic_search_team_g
    No microphone has been detected in the system
    You need to give permission for the microphone to be used to be able to use it
    Error while trying to use the microphone, the browser may not be compatible
    Your device is not compatible
    RF
    RF
    PFDB
    BeSoccer Pro
    API
    API
    Company
    Company
    Empleo
    Jobs
    Lineups
    Lineups
    avatar_user
    • Editar perfil Edit profile
    • Favourites
    • logout Log out
    LoginEnter
    Ajustes Settings Idiomas Languages
    Settings
    Show news

    Quota format

    Close
    Languages
    English Español Français Italiano Português
    Close
    Bundesliga
    Schalke 04
    M. Yoshida
    Share

    Yoshida draws on WC 'fight' to help Schalke beat the drop

    BeSoccer BeSoccer 2 years ago 4.4k |

    Reading time: minutes

    Yoshida has helped lead the clubs turnaround in the second half of the season. AFP
    Yoshida has helped lead the clubs turnaround in the second half of the season. AFP
    Schalke head to league leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday in the midst of an extraordinary relegation escape act, with more than a little help from centre-back and captain Maya Yoshida.
    FT
    Matchday 32
    Bayern München
    Bayern München
    6-0
    Schalke 04
    Schalke 04
    13 MAY 2023

    Made captain early in 2023 with Schalke dead last in the Bundesliga, the 34-year-old Yoshida has been pivotal to the team's surprise resurgence. Schalke now sit in 15th, one place and two points clear of the relegation spots, with three games remaining.

    Their revival - which looked unlikely after a run of 10 defeats in 11 games between September and January - has been built around dogged defensive stability. Japan captain Yoshida told 'AFP' his experience at the 2022 World Cup, where his side beat Spain and Germany in the group stage, had steeled him for a relegation fight.

    "Achieving results at the World Cup wins you respect from teammates and other people you work with. It's extremely important. I came here with experience but the fact I was the captain of the national team which played against your (Germany's) national team and won... people listen to me and understand," Yoshida said.

    But while claiming points against a Bayern side in the middle of a tense title fight with rivals Borussia Dortmund ranks among the toughest tasks in German football, even considering the feat shows how far Schalke have come under Yoshida's leadership.

    'Bring Schalke to a better place'

    Yoshida joined the Royal Blues on a free transfer from Sampdoria last July after Schalke were promoted as champions of the second division. When Yoshida signed with Schalke, he had a decade-long career in top European leagues behind him, plus over 120 international caps, many as captain.

    With just nine points from 17 games, Schalke sat rock bottom and looked set for a direct return to the second division, clouding the longer-term future of the seven-time German champions.

    In the first game of the second half of the season, Schalke fought to a scoreless home draw against Cologne, repeating the feat the week after against Borussia Moenchengladbach. An injury to captain and local boy Danny Latza saw Yoshida given the armband. Schalke lost just two of their next eight under Yoshida, picking up 10 valuable points.

    "When the time comes, you just have to summon your energy and fight. The team acquired me. It means I was brought here for the mission to keep the team in the league. I spend my time thinking about how to achieve that mission," Yoshida told 'AFP'.

    "Things are improving, but we are not in the safety zone yet. We have to accumulate more points. I want to continue working without losing our focus. On or off the pitch, I want to help bring Schalke to a better place."

    'There is nothing else'

    Yoshida's Schalke teammates appreciate the impact the Nagasaki-born defender has had on the club. Schalke goalkeeper Michael Langer, 38, has been at the club since 2017, experiencing the highs of reaching the Champions League last 16 in 2018-19 and the lows of relegation at the end of the 2020-21 season.

    The Austrian told 'AFP' that Yoshida's signing was "a big win for the club" as a footballer but also "as a human being": "First of all I think he brought a lot of experience to us on the pitch, but also off the pitch. He's a very communicative guy. He always has good advice and a clear mind about how football should be.

    "He's very respectful and hard working and I think every young player in our team can look up and say 'I have to do it like him because he is a perfect example every day.' How he works in training, the attitude, the preparation, he's a full professional."

    Yoshida missed two matches with a muscle strain, but returned for Schalke's 2-1 win over fellow promoted side Werder Bremen in late April: "Our target as a team is to remain in the league and avoid relegation. There is nothing else," he said.

    Mentioned in the news story
    Bundesliga
    Bundesliga
    News See page
    Schalke 04
    Schalke 04
    News See page
    M. Yoshida
    M. Yoshida
    News See page
    Copyright © 2014-2025 BeSoccer.com, Live Scores | Legal notices and Privacy
    Play responsibly. 18+

    Puedes ver la versión Española de BeSoccer.com.

    You can see the English version of BeSoccer.com.

    Vous pouvez voir la version French de BeSoccer.com.

    Puoi vedere la versione Italian su BeSoccer.com.

    Você pode ver a versão Brasileira de BeSoccer.com.

    Versión Española Version English Version French Versione Italian Versão Brasileira X