FC Schalke 04 hit a new low with a 1-2 defeat against SV Elversberg. Afterwards, there was also some gloating from the opponents.

He who wins has the last laugh. And that’s especially true for a village club like SV Elversberg, who beat FC Schalke 04 2-1.

Jannik Rochelt was in a correspondingly good mood when he joined the post-match press conference in the mixed zone. The scorer of the second goal, which made it 2-0, first explained his strike, which saw him beat Justin Heekeren with a spectacular shot from the edge of the penalty area that hit the inside of the post. “I saw that there was a bit of space, so I just gave it a try,” said Rochelt.

For the Elversberg players, it was certainly the game of their lives so far. Many of them were still playing in the regional league two years ago. And now they were playing in front of 61,110 spectators in the Schalke Arena. “It was great,” said Rochelt. “The fans and the stadium were fantastic. We knew it would be good and that we had a lot to look forward to. But everyone went into the game with a certain amount of anticipation. We were really looking forward to the day when we got to play here.”

He said the atmosphere spurred him on. “That’s what makes playing soccer worthwhile. These are the games you most want to play,” said the Elversberg player. “And if you saw the game, you know the others felt the same way.”

However, it didn’t get really close even after Schalke equalized, although the hosts had one or two chances. But we defended very well throughout the game. “We knew that we could hold our own here if we played our game,” explained the 25-year-old. “Of course, it’s a bigger challenge than when you’re playing in front of 20,000 fans.”

1,495 fans traveled to Gelsenkirchen from the town of 13,000 in Saarland. “When I heard that so many were coming, I was a little surprised. I was delighted that so many came. I think it was worth it,” Rochelt grinned.

He has no sympathy for FC Schalke 04, which has 180,000 members and could slip back into a relegation spot after the match day. “I don’t think you have to feel sorry for Schalke 04,” he said. “I think it’s also a difficult situation for Schalke at the moment after their relegation. But in the end, we just did our thing.”