"You don't blab to the public about what a coach or team-mate says (unless it was agreed beforehand). It's a matter of honour," Großkreutz commented on an Instagram post by ran featuring a quote from S04 icon Ralf Fährmann from his book "Schalke and me - a love story", which is due to be published in mid-October.
Sport Bild recently published some excerpts from the book in advance, including an anecdote about a foul-mouthed tirade from Schalke coach at the time Dimitrios Grammozis during the 2021/22 season. "How can I best describe him? After a 2-1 defeat in Düsseldorf, he thundered in the match analysis a day later: 'You want to f*ck me? You want to f*ck my staff? You can f*ck your Insta girls, but not me,'" Fährmann revealed in the passage from the book commented on by Großkreutz, describing how Grammozis tore into him and his team-mates at the time.
Speaking on his podcast Viertelstunde Fussball, Großkreutz aimed another dig at Fährmann, who has since retired. "You don't do that," Großkreutz added. "I know a lot about team-mates too. What this one said, what he may have confided in me. That stays with me. Things like that stay in the dressing room," emphasised Großkreutz, who nevertheless invited Fährmann onto the podcast with his co-host Cornelius Küpper.
Kevin Großkreutz did not win a single Revierderby against Ralf Fährmann
The pair faced each other seven times in total, first at under-19 level. In December 2005, Großkreutz earned a 1-1 draw for LR Ahlen's under-19s against the Schalke youth side featuring Fährmann, Benedikt Höwedes and Mesut Özil. Großkreutz put Ahlen ahead before S04 equalised shortly before the end through Giuseppe Pisano.
At professional level, they met six times, including three Revierderbys between BVB and S04. Fährmann's Schalke side won two of those games, while the other finished goalless.
Getty ImagesAs icons of the two arch-rivals, Großkreutz and Fährmann were always likely to share a certain sporting dislike. "When I stepped onto the pitch in Dortmund to warm up, my first official act was always to spit heartily towards the Südtribüne, the 'Yellow Wall'. On the 'Süd' stand more than 20,000 lunatics who wish death on all of us. Spitting was always my special greeting to them," Fährmann revealed.
Born and raised in Dortmund, Großkreutz has been a passionate BVB supporter since early childhood, while Fährmann left Chemnitzer FC for Gelsenkirchen as a 14-year-old and later broke into the first team at S04. Although the end of his time at Schalke was by no means free of off-field noise, the Royal Blues still hold a firm place in Fährmann's heart. "As much as I have tried to ignore Schalke, I can't do it. I follow all the matches on TV and so dearly wish the fans sporting success. Despite everything: I love Schalke. That is the truth," the 38-year-old emphasises in his book.