Schalke president Josef Schnusenberg has hit back at Kevin Kuranyi after the Germany striker criticised the club's recruitment policy this summer.

Kuranyi has voiced his discontent at what he perceives as a lack of big-name players arriving at the club and accused the Royal Blues of being happy with finishing second, as they did behind Stuttgart in last season's Bundesliga title race.

Schnusenberg responded by telling Kicker: "If he cannot be bothered being second, then he could do something on the pitch to alter it.

"Our new signings like (Jermaine) Jones, (Heiko) Westermann and (Ivan) Rakitic are being made out to be poor."

Schnusenberg does not feel the club has been weakened at all during the close season despite the exits of Lincoln and Hamit Altintop.

He said: "We have not lost any world-class players.

"Lincoln showed his class just six times in the year and Hamit only played well in the last third of the season, but did nothing for the previous three and a half years."