Honestly, giving five days off seemed a bit much here, especially in the middle of the season.
How could it not, since the game was always weekly, and not training for that long would only make them rusty and unprepared.
However, this was a different case, one that allowed Schalke's players to relax a little bit as a reward after getting three wins in a row.
Not only was it to replace the break that the team took away from them on New Year's Day, but the next game week would be a break as well for the league. In return, they would play the DFB Pokal, the cup where all the teams from any division could fight against each other.
The most important thing was that it was still in the second round, and most Bundesliga teams would only play against the second or third division teams. This was definitely the best chance to rest the main players and let the benchwarmers take over the team even for a moment.
