Raphael Brinkert joins the S04 women’s team as a sleeve sponsor. The marketing expert announced this himself.

Raphael Brinkert joins FC Schalke 04 as a sponsor. The marketing expert announced this himself via the “X” platform.

“Everyone is talking about women’s soccer. We promote it. @brinkertlueck, official partner of @S04Frauen with immediate effect,” announced Brinkert, who was born in Haltern am See. Below this was a picture with the caption “New sleeve partner of the S04 women”.

However, the sponsorship for the S04 women’s section is more likely to be a symbolic act and a manageable sum that will now benefit the Royal Blues. This alone would certainly not have caused a great stir among most Schalke fans. If, yes, if it wasn’t for Raphael Brinkert.

Brinkert has repeatedly been linked with S04

In this respect, his arrival at the Knappen is more of a symbolic act. Because Brinkert is of course not just any sponsor. The Schalke fan, who lives in Hamburg, has been associated with S04 again and again in recent years. There was also speculation that he could take over the position of chairman of the board at the second division club.

In the meantime, however, Matthias Tillmann has been introduced as the new chairman of the S04 board. The current CEO of the online hotel comparison portal trivago will move to the Emscher on January 1, 2024. It was also recently rumored that Brinkert could take on a role at the club if Clemens Tönnies were to make a comeback. So far, however, these are nothing more than rumors.

The fact is that Brinkert initiated the “Future Team” project in 2001 – a kind of expert council consisting of former players, sponsors and long-standing fans and members of the club who wanted to make certain recommendations to S04 for the realignment after Clemens Tönnies. However, the project has since been dissolved.

Now, at least, the S04 women’s team has become a small sponsor. Schalke recently announced that the employer comparison platform kununu will be featured on the S04 women’s and junior women’s jerseys, training kits and as a banner on the Schalke club grounds until June 30, 2025