In Gelsenkirchen, matchdays still bring the city to a standstill. Streams of fans dressed in blue and white make their way to the Veltins-Arena, a ritual that has endured even through the darkest chapters of Schalke's recent history. After a three-year absence from the Bundesliga, the club is back in Germany's top flight, and the connection between team and city remains as strong as ever.
That bond was on full display in Schalke's opening match of the new season, a 3-0 defeat away to Augsburg. Despite the result, some 6,000 traveling supporters stayed behind after the final whistle to applaud their players. Professor Frank Eckardt, who grew up in the Schalke-Nord district, described the relationship between the club and its fanbase as something almost spiritual. "It feels like people think, 'OK, we don't have anything else, but we have Schalke. It's our club,'" he said. Eckardt noted that some local residents even have Schalke's emblem inscribed on their gravestones, a testament to how deeply the club is woven into the identity of the region.
Schalke's path back to the Bundesliga has been anything but smooth. The club dropped into the second division for the first time in 21 years amid financial turmoil driven by heavy debt, missed European qualification, and the economic fallout of the pandemic. Insolvency was once a real threat. Although Schalke earned an immediate return to the top flight in 2022, the revival proved short-lived, and they were relegated again the following year. Two more seasons in Bundesliga 2 followed, including a disappointing 14th-place finish that left the club just above the relegation play-off zone.
German football analyst Mark Lovell attributed much of the struggle to Schalke's inability to match ambition with financial reality. "They suffered with the burden of expectation... they've been living beyond their means for many seasons," he said, adding that relegation forced the club to strip back and rebuild almost from scratch.
That rebuilding process brought new leadership. Coach Miron Muslic, previously in charge of Plymouth Argyle, is widely credited with restoring belief and guiding Schalke back to the Bundesliga. Local journalist Robin Haack said Muslic won over skeptics with an intense, high-pressing style that reflects Gelsenkirchen's working-class identity. "He is the hero because his way of coaching is so powerful. He gave the people the belief back," Haack said.
Behind the scenes, former Werder Bremen sporting director Frank Baumann has played a crucial role since joining in June 2025. According to fellow WAV reporter Andreas Ernst, Baumann inherited a club with little money but plenty of spirit, and "did everything out of nothing." Lovell praised Baumann as "a real top football man."
Baumann's boldest move was luring veteran forward Edin Dzeko, who arrived in January following a difficult stint at Fiorentina. Dzeko has scored eight goals in 13 appearances, including two in Schalke's DFB Pokal campaign. Muslic, who is of Bosnian heritage, spoke glowingly of the 40-year-old striker, comparing him to football legends. "For us is Gary Lineker. He's our Johan Cruyff... he's just an idol," Muslic said. Defender Christian Fuchs echoed that sentiment, highlighting Dzeko's influence on team culture and accountability.
Goalkeeper Loris Karius has also found renewed purpose at Schalke after a turbulent period following his Liverpool days. Muslic called him "the face of this new Schalke," praising his resilience and the fresh start he has found at the club.
Schalke now face champions Bayern Munich in their first home league match of the season, though few expect this fixture—or the historic rivalry with Borussia Dortmund—to define their campaign. Instead, survival will likely hinge on consistent performances in front of the passionate 62,000-strong Veltins-Arena crowd. Fuchs expressed hope that Schalke's top-flight stay will be lasting, while Muslic summed up the club's mindset heading into the new season: "We are very humble but ambitious. Right now it's all about playing another year in the Bundesliga."
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.