More than 1,000 fans attended Roberto Di Matteo's first training session as Schalke coach as excitement grew over the appointment of the man who won the Champions League for Chelsea.
The arrival of Di Matteo, who has also managed West Bromwich Albion and Milton Keynes Dons, followed the departure of under-pressure Jens Keller last week.
On Thursday, the Italian took his first training session in Gelsenkirchen, with Schalke running minute-by-minute coverage on their official website.
The session was also closely monitored by Schalke sporting executive Horst Heldt, who watched from a club office balcony, local football magazine Reviersport reported. "I've seen many wide-awake faces," he said.
Schalke skipper and Germany international Benedikt Howedes was back in training after being sidelined since mid-September with a muscle injury, with his return key to Di Matteo's hopes of fixing the club's defensive problems.
He will boost a Schalke side that has picked up only eight points from the first seven Bundesliga games and is 11th in the table.