At Schalke, Schallenberg is expected to take on a leadership role. Promotion would be very special for him, because he was already an S04 fan as a child.

FC Schalke 04’s goal for the upcoming second division season is clearly defined: They want to be promoted back to the Bundesliga. Ron Schallenberg is one of the main hopes for this goal. The 24-year-old was most recently captain at SC Paderborn and is set to become the new midfield boss for the Königsblauen.

His transfer fee also shows how much confidence there is in Schallenberg: Schalke paid two million euros for him in East Westphalia. That makes him the most expensive new second-division player of the summer so far.

After his first week at Schalke, Schallenberg already has a good feeling about the promotion. Three things make him optimistic, as he told Sportbild: “Firstly, we already have a lot of quality in the squad. You notice that right away in the first units. Secondly, our fans are so powerful that they can intimidate the opposition, especially at home games. And thirdly, our coach. Already as head coach of VfL Bochum, Thomas Reis succeeded in promotion to the Bundesliga in 2021.

“I am a worker”

Schallenberg himself also wants to contribute to a possible promotion – possibly as a leader. He wants to convince the fans with his combative style of play. “I am a worker who is not too shy to go nasty ways for my teammates,” he said. “My strengths are in defence. And here in the arena, winning duels is sometimes celebrated like a goal. That could fit!”

Even before his first competitive match, he is already doing well with many Schalkers, as he spoke publicly about his past as a Schalke fan after the training kick-off. Even in his childhood, he was a fan of the Königsblauen. His childhood heroes? All S04 icons. “Marcelo Bordon, Raúl, Ebbe Sand – I got my first jersey from them. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Jefferson Farfán. Benedikt Höwedes was also always my role model on the pitch,” said Schallenberg.