Schalke 04 has unveiled a new shirt sponsor for its youth teams. It is Evonik – also a partner of Borussia Dortmund.

Evonik has been a sponsor of Schalke 04 for around two years, which caused quite a stir in fan circles at the start of the collaboration, as the Essen-based company has also been an important partner of the club’s regional rivals Borussia Dortmund for many years.

Now the topic is coming to a head once again, as Evonik is now involved as a shirt sponsor for S04 for the first time. But not for the professionals, whose shirts will be covered by Sun Minimeal in future. Evonik is involved in the jerseys of the youth teams, with the chemical company’s logo now adorning the chest of the U23s from the regional league and the other youth teams.

“We are delighted that Evonik has decided to visibly support the Knappenschmiede with its shirt sponsorship and other activities. It is an important sign that a company from the region is dedicated to our youth teams and supports them so extensively,” explains squad planner Ben Manga, who is also responsible for scouting and youth development as Director.

Most recently, Knappschaft Kliniken was the shirt sponsor of the Knappenschmiede teams – the first time in history that the youngsters had their own shirt sponsor. Now Evonik follows

Urs Schnabel, Head of Corporate Identity at Evonik, explains: “The high profile of FC Schalke 04 and its deep ties to the region make FC Schalke 04 the ideal partner for attracting skilled workers and trainees to Evonik. More than 10,000 people work for Evonik in North Rhine-Westphalia alone, most of them in the Ruhr region. The Knappenschmiede is symbolic of the aspiration to develop top performers and thus enable the success of tomorrow.”

The jerseys with Evonik can be seen in action for the first time on Saturday. The U23s will then kick off the new regional league season at SC Wiedenbrück