FC Schalke 04 has fans everywhere. Eupen is even home to one of the Royal Blues’ biggest fan clubs. However, the supporters will not be in the stadium for the test match against KAS Eupen.

When FC Schalke 04 takes on KAS Eupen on Saturday (1.30 pm, RS live ticker) in the last test match before the start of the second half of the 2nd division, it will be a very special match for one S04 fan club.

Because FC Schalke 04 also has a fan club in Eupen. And has done for more than 30 years. Back on October 15, 1993, 15 Belgian supporters of the Royal Blues founded the “Schalke Fan Club East Belgium”.

The catchment area stretches along the 20 to 50-kilometre-wide German-speaking border strip with Germany from the Belgian-Luxembourg border in the south-east to the border triangle between Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany near Aachen in the north. Geographically, it is also known as East Belgium. Around 75,000 of the 10 million Belgians belong to the German-speaking community of East Belgium.

And the East Belgians around long-time president Hermann Gross are among the most loyal fans of the Knappen. At its peak, the East Belgium fan club had more than 500 members and is still one of the most active fan communities in Gelsenkirchen today.

Of course, they were particularly proud that Marc Wilmots, of all people, was the Belgian who scored Schalke’s greatest triumph in the club’s history when they won the UEFA Cup in Milan in 1997. Now that Wilmots has returned as sporting director after more than 20 years and a Belgian coach, Karel Geraerts, is in charge, the fan club is sure to attract increased attention back home.

For many years now, they have been sending their own fully occupied fan bus from their home country to every Gelsenkirchen home game. For the first home game of the second half of the season against Hamburger SV, the East Belgians will therefore be present with their bus next Saturday, as always directly at the exit area of parking lot 6.

However, according to RS information, the S04 fans from Eupen will not be attending Wilmots’ debut in the arena against KAS Eupen as a fan club. Although some supporters will be there by car, they will not be traveling together.

Instead, Marc Wilmots will be welcomed one week later against HSV.