Overview

• Miron Muslic appointed new signing Nikola Katic as vice-captain alongside Timo Becker, defying expectations that a team council member would fill the role.
• Katic, who joined Schalke this month, previously captained under Muslic during their stint at Plymouth Argyle and earned the coach’s confidence.
• The 2025/26 team council consists of Kenan Karaman, Ron Schallenberg, Loris Karius, Timo Becker and Max Grüger, yet only Becker was chosen as deputy by the coaching staff.
• Kenan Karaman remains captain despite his recent meniscus surgery, leaving Becker and Katic to support the squad’s leadership structure.
• The surprise promotion underscores Muslic’s broader strategy to establish long-term stability after Schalke’s cycle of 13 coaches since 2019.