Post by Carl LaFong on Apr 30, 2024 12:38:53 GMT
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ckr5yy29k82o
It’s 5:45pm on matchday in Gelsenkirchen and tram 302 is bouncing.
The 20-minute, five-and-a-half-mile journey to the Veltins Arena is the first sign of the raucous noise that awaits.
Kick-off for Schalke 04’s match against Nuremburg is still just under three hours away.
But homages to Schalke, in the form of stickers, graffiti and murals, are on almost every surface, surrounded by reminders of the region’s industrial heritage.
The stadium stands on a hill on the city outskirts and every entrance is packed with eager fans. An aroma of beer, bratwurst and cigarette smoke hangs in the air.
An hour before the action starts, the Nordkurve housing the Schalke ultras is full and loud.
By kick-off, there are 62,000 packed in and it is hard to hear a single thought.
This is the Schalke ritual, one that has played out in Europe many times.
Over the past 20 seasons, they have played in the Champions League eight times. In 2011 they reached the semi-finals, losing to Manchester United.
In 2019, their most recent campaign among the elite, they reached the last 16, losing to Manchester City.
But this is a different stage, with different stakes.
This is Bundesliga 2 - the German second tier. Schalke are fallen giants, hanging dangerously close to a second relegation in succession and, possibly, oblivion.
Despite recent assurances that their finances are holding up, the viability of the debt-saddled club as a genuine power is in doubt.
How did this colossus - the third biggest club in Germany in terms of members, with the third most league titles of all time - end up on the edge?
And is there any way back?
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ckr5yy29k82o
It’s 5:45pm on matchday in Gelsenkirchen and tram 302 is bouncing.
The 20-minute, five-and-a-half-mile journey to the Veltins Arena is the first sign of the raucous noise that awaits.
Kick-off for Schalke 04’s match against Nuremburg is still just under three hours away.
But homages to Schalke, in the form of stickers, graffiti and murals, are on almost every surface, surrounded by reminders of the region’s industrial heritage.
The stadium stands on a hill on the city outskirts and every entrance is packed with eager fans. An aroma of beer, bratwurst and cigarette smoke hangs in the air.
An hour before the action starts, the Nordkurve housing the Schalke ultras is full and loud.
By kick-off, there are 62,000 packed in and it is hard to hear a single thought.
This is the Schalke ritual, one that has played out in Europe many times.
Over the past 20 seasons, they have played in the Champions League eight times. In 2011 they reached the semi-finals, losing to Manchester United.
In 2019, their most recent campaign among the elite, they reached the last 16, losing to Manchester City.
But this is a different stage, with different stakes.
This is Bundesliga 2 - the German second tier. Schalke are fallen giants, hanging dangerously close to a second relegation in succession and, possibly, oblivion.
Despite recent assurances that their finances are holding up, the viability of the debt-saddled club as a genuine power is in doubt.
How did this colossus - the third biggest club in Germany in terms of members, with the third most league titles of all time - end up on the edge?
And is there any way back?
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ckr5yy29k82o