Büskens goes home to Düsseldorf
June 3, 2013
Büskens confirmed to television station Sport1 on Monday that he would join Fortuna Düsseldorf as coach, with a signing ceremony and official welcome at the club planned for Tuesday.
"For me a circle is closing, as I return to the club where I earned my first stripes as a player," Büskens said. "It's great to be back with Fortuna."
The 45-year-old Büskens, most famous for his playing days with Schalke, was born in Düsseldorf and played over 100 senior games for the club between 1987 and 1992.
Düsseldorf were relegated from the Bundesliga last month after a catastrophic second half to the season. The side imploded after the winter break, earning just nine points from its last 18 Bundesliga games. The club fired coach Norbert Meier last week.
Büskens, meanwhile, spent most of the season with Greuther Fürth, the other Bundeslia side to suffer relegation. Büskens was fired in February with the Bavarian club and its anemic attack bottom of the table. Both Fürth and Düsseldorf were playing their first top-flight seasons after promotion.
Second division clubs Cologne and Ingolstadt were also reportedly in the hunt for Büskens' services.
The defensive midfielder spent the first five years of his senior career with Fortuna after five in the youth setup. His greatest success as a player was the 1997 UEFA Cup title he won with Schalke. As a coach, he led Greuther Fürth - once considered perennial bridesmaids in the second divison hunt for promotion - to the Bundesliga for the first time ever, winning the 2011/12 second division title.
msh/pfd (dpa, SID)