A good two and a half years ago, FC Schalke 04 had to travel to an away game in the 2nd Bundesliga for the first time in 30 years. Still white?
On April 20, 2021, the time had come. After the 1-0 defeat at Arminia Bielefeld, FC Schalke 04’s relegation was finally sealed.
30 years after the last relegation to Germany’s second-highest division, the miners had to start their journey back down. The fans were left between sadness and anger. An absolutely disastrous season came to an end.
Royal Blue kicked off the 2021/22 season in League Two at home against Hamburger SV (3:1 defeat). They then went on the road again for the first time. The first win of the new season came at Holstein Kiel. Simon Terodde was the match-winner in the 3:0 victory. His brace and Marius Bülter’s goal sealed the first three points of what turned out to be a highly successful season.
Schalke 04 and Mike Büskens’ interim team achieved promotion in dramatic fashion against FC St. Pauli (May 7, 2022) and set fans’ hearts racing again. The team returned to the Bundesliga at the very first attempt.
FC Schalke 04 has since endured another year and a half of turbulence. It was not until the 34th matchday of the 2022/23 season that the club was relegated from the Bundesliga again. Königsblau lost 4:2 at RB Leipzig and thus plummeted once again.
After seven games in the new 2nd division season, coach Thomas Reis also had to pack his bags again on September 27, 2023. With just two wins from seven games and the team in 16th place, the club decided to make a change on the coaching bench. Since then, Karl Geraerts has been in charge and things are still not going entirely smoothly for the Gelsenkirchen club.
It is February 6, 2024, and the next away match for Schalke takes Royal Blue to Kiel. Where the last trip began. The omens look completely different this time. Holstein Kiel greet from third place. Meanwhile, Schalke were only able to move out of 16th place in the relegation play-offs after beating Eintracht Braunschweig and are now teetering in 14th place. The roles are reversed. The 3:0 from 2021 is long gone