Bundesliga season review: 5 things we learnt from 2017/18 season

#2 Tedesco's magic puts Schalke back on the European map

Tedesco lifted Schalke out of the lurch

Last year, Schalke hit a seven-year low when they finished 10th in the league. A season of chaos and cataclysm ended up with manager Markus Weinzierl being shown the door. In came Domineco Tedesco, a 32-year old without prior managerial experience with a senior team.

There was apprehension about the club's decision to appoint him last summer. Less than a year on since his appointment, it has turned into a surfeit of admiration. The Italian-born has taken the Ruhr Valley outfit back into the upper hierarchy of the league: Schalke are the runners-up in the final standings, their best finish in 8 years and back in the Champions League after a 3-year hiatus.

Under him, The Royal Blues changed from a worn-out, stuttering outfit to a sturdier one and gave the Bundesliga elite a run for their money. Perhaps, the best game that sums up their transformation is the 4-4 draw in the Revierderby against arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund. Trailing 4-0 at half-time, Schalke mounted an improbable comeback in the second half to force a share of the spoils.

That was the Royal Blues at their formidable best; an early preview of what lay ahead under Tedesco's regime. And 21 weeks later, the fans weren't disappointed as Schalke came back in the Bundesliga reckoning. Tedesco has worked his magic in the blue half of the Rhine Valley.