The reason for the boycott was spelled out beneath the giant scoreboard in the Schalke end on ten cardboard placards: J-Ö-R-G B-E-R-G-E-R. The popular coach had just been sacked after a 2–3 cup defeat against regional rivals Bochum. On the Schalke bench that day sat assistant coach Hubert Neu.\n\nBerger, people said, had fallen out badly with the squad.
Yet it had been only months since he had taken the leaking traditional club into the UEFA Cup after rescuing them from relegation danger in 1993. Still, by October 1996 his credit had evaporated. He had only four competitive wins to show for it, one of them the 3–0 over Dutch side Roda Kerkrade in round one of the UEFA Cup.
