Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick stepped down yesterday because of burnout, only six months after taking charge of the Bundesliga club.

The 53-year-old Rangnick replaced Felix Magath at the end of March.

“After a long and deep reflection, I’ve come to the conclusion that I need a break,” Rangnick said in a statement on the club website. “It was extremely hard to reach this decision but my current energy level is not enough to be successful and to bring the team and the club forward.”

Players said they were stunned by the news.

“It was a huge shock to hear something like that two days before a match,” Schalke defender Christoph Metzelder said. “I’ve seen a lot in my 11 years as professional, but nothing like this.”

Rangnick, who also had spells at Stuttgart and Hannover, was in his second stint with Schalke and had another three years on his contract. He also coached the club between September 2004 and December 2005.

He went on to take Hoffenheim from the third to first division in two seasons, but quit in January after disagreeing with the chief backer of the club, Dietmar Hopp, over the transfer of Luiz Gustavo to Bayern Munich.

After taking over from Magath, Rangnick guided Schalke to a win over Inter in the Champions League quarterfinals and to the German Cup title.

“The decision of Ralf Rangnick deserves the highest respect,” Schalke general manager Horst Heldt said.

Assistant coach Seppo Eichkorn will take over the team provisionally.

“The players reacted very emotionally,” Eichkorn said in Gelsenkirchen. “I’ve never experienced something like this. When I heard it last night, I was totally surprised.”

Team doctor Thorsten Rarreck said Rangnick had no choice but to quit immediately.

“It was only a matter time before he imploded,” Rarreck said.

The doctor said Rangnick should recover fully in a few months.

Schalke persuaded Rangnick to take over the team in late March although he wanted a longer break after quitting Hoffenheim.