SHOCK REBIRTH! Schalke's Epic Rise Back to Bundesliga After YEARS of DOWNFALLS
Schalke returns to the Bundesliga after tough seasons, overcoming financial woes and relegation. Can they reclaim greatness?
The road back to the Bundesliga for Schalke has been about correcting past errors and restoring the club to its rightful place.
Schalke, crowned German champions seven times, boast one of Europe's most passionate fan bases. Only Bayern Munich and fierce rivals Borussia Dortmund have more than their 200,000 members in Germany.
In 2021, Schalke faced relegation for the first time in 30 years. Burdened by debt and hit hard during the Covid era, the club’s financial woes deepened. Although they managed to return immediately to the Bundesliga, they were relegated again and didn’t recover so easily this time.
Matthias Tillmann, the club's CEO since 2024, called Schalke’s time in the second tier a "mistake."
We are not a second division club when it comes to fans, to infrastructure,
— Matthias Tillmann
He acknowledged the club's missteps in sporting decisions and financial allocations. The 2021 relegation combined with the pandemic’s impact hurt badly. A quick subsequent drop made things even worse.
The financial strain intensified after Schalke ended a sponsorship deal with Russian energy company Gazprom in 2022 due to the Ukraine conflict.
Despite poor results on the pitch, Schalke’s fanbase stood firm. Every home game in the current season attracted crowds of over 60,000. However, the club’s rich history and size brought immense pressure to succeed.
The 2024/25 campaign was challenging, with Schalke hovering near the drop zone and finishing 14th out of 18. In response, they appointed Miron Muslic as head coach and brought in Frank Baumann to lead sporting operations.
Baumann believes Muslic played a key role in lifting the club from its "worst season ever."
In the past couple of years, maybe (the players) were afraid of the reaction of supporters when they lose,
— Frank Baumann
But this mindset, we changed in the summer. Miron, as head coach, had a lot of influence on this.
— Frank Baumann
Tillmann admits Schalke’s promotion came earlier than planned. He joked that the preseason target wasn’t quite as high.
Youri (Mulder), our sporting director, said it in a funny way, that our goal is that we don't have to fire our coach this year. So far, we're on track. I don't think we'll do that in the next couple of weeks.
— Matthias Tillmann
Welcoming the challenge, Tillmann insists you can’t delay promotion because you’re not ready. It has to happen when it’s possible.
Having grown up as a Schalke fan, Tillmann took charge in January 2024 after working in the private sector. He describes football as different from regular business.
It's not a normal business,
— Matthias Tillmann
We're not here to make profits, to grow revenue - that's only a means to an end. We have all of this to build a great squad, to win trophies.
— Matthias Tillmann
A crucial factor in Schalke’s revival was smart recruitment. Signing veteran striker Edin Dzeko in January proved vital. At the halfway stage, Schalke topped the table despite scoring only 22 goals in 17 matches – fewer than most teams.
Dzeko contributed six goals and three assists in nine games, making a big impact. Baumann noted Dzeko could have earned more elsewhere but chose Schalke.
On a Saturday stroll with a beer, Dzeko expressed his passion for the game.
You never want to stop playing. I don't want to stop, football is my life,
— Edin Dzeko
But first we can celebrate and have a few drinks...After that, there will be time to sit down together.
— Edin Dzeko
Returning to the Bundesliga also sparks anticipation for the Revierderby against Dortmund – one of German football’s fiercest rivalries.
Baumann is excited about the upcoming clashes.
It'll be my first derby against Dortmund, so I'm very excited. But you don't just play a derby, you have to win. That's more important,
— Frank Baumann
