Hamburg  - Schalke 04 Wednesday ended their search for an interim coach for the rest of the Bundesliga season, opting instead to stick with a trio of caretaker trainers.

A statement said the club had "great confidence" in Mike Buskens, Youri Mulder and Oliver Reck who had been appointed last week after the dismissal of Fred Rutten.

The trio had initially agreed to take charge while Schalke looked for a coach to lead the team until the end of the season.

But after Croatia coach Slaven Bilic turned down the job on Monday, the board changed its mind and decided to keep with the present staff.

Former players Bueskens and Mulder performed a similar role at the same time last season following the dismissal of Mirko Slomka. They have now been joined by former keeper Reck as "equal partners."

Under Buskens and Mulder, Schalke won 16 of 18 possible points last season to finish third in the table and earn a place in the Champions League qualification.

"We still have a small chance of reaching the UEFA Cup and we must try to take it," Buskens said.

"We have to stop the downward trend, and everyone in the club has to do their bit."

Schalke are eighth in the table and visit Arminia Biefeled on Friday in the first game with the coaching trio in charge.

Brazilian defender Marcelo Bordon welcomed the appointment, saying Buskens in particular knows how to motivate a team.

However, Bordon, who has recently given up the captaincy, indicated he might be playing his last season for the club.

"I don't have the feeling at the moment that I will still be a Schalke player next season," he said.

"The team has to be restructured. If I am going to be a problem in this then I will have to go." (dpa)