On Saturday, FC Schalke 04 will play against Twente Enschede. The test match between the friendly clubs electrifies the fans. Many spectators are expected in the arena.

FC Schalke 04’s dress rehearsal for the season in the 2nd Bundesliga against Twente Enschede will take place on Saturday (1.30 pm) in the Schalker Arena.

The team wants to cut a good figure one week before the start of the league season at Hamburger SV. It is to be expected that Schalke’s coach Thomas Reis will already bring a lot of the team onto the pitch that should ensure a good start to the season at HSV.

And perhaps the aim against the friendly club from the Dutch Eredivisie is also to take a bit of revenge for last year’s defeat. Exactly one year ago, this match already took place. At that time it took place in the stadium “De Grolsch Veste” in Enschede. Twente won 3:1 against the Knappen, who had just returned to the Bundesliga, with two late goals. Marcin Kaminski had given S04 the lead with an early goal after nine minutes.

Even more memorable than the match, however, was the pre-match fan celebration. Hundreds of Tukkers and Knappen supporters celebrated their fan friendship together to Dutch pop music before kick-off in front of the stadium and in the adjacent fan pub.

Fan friendship has its origins in the 90s

It goes back to the 1990s. Back then, the Gelsen scene and the Twente Hooligan Firm fraternised. Today, it has been lived out for more than 15 years, especially by the ultra groups Ultras Gelsenkirchen and VAK-P. After the friendly match before last season, there was loud celebrating in VAK-P’s pub for a long time. That will be the case again this year in Gelsenkirchen.

In the Netherlands, 15,000 to 20,000 people were expected to attend this unusual test match last year. 26,000 turned up! FC Schalke 04 would certainly like to beat that number on Saturday. And it could succeed. “We are expecting around 30,000 spectators,” explained club spokesman Marc Siekmann.