A city is in a frenzy: Schalke 04 celebrates its return to the Bundesliga. An incredible weight was lifted from captain Kenan Karaman, who declared amidst the blue-and-white celebration, «We all deserved this together.» Tears welled up as the fans chanted his name, a testament to their belief through two difficult years, with a resounding «No more second division!»
Schalke 04 is back in the Bundesliga, with not just the stadium but the entire city celebrating their 1-0 victory over Fortuna Düsseldorf, securing their promotion. Timo Becker and Edin Dzeko led the revelries, with the team’s «We’re going up, Schalke!» shirts a symbol of their triumphant return that lasted late into the night.
«Let loose, celebrate as long as you can. We’re back!» had been Ron Schallenberg’s earlier call to party on the pitch. Even their fierce rivals, Borussia Dortmund, offered a humorous congratulation on X, stating, «We almost missed you.»
Almost an afterthought was the automatic contract extension of successful coach Miron Muslic until 2028. «Bundesliga, here we come, together,» the 43-year-old rejoiced, making a declaration of love at the press conference after the customary beer shower: «Schalke is a giant. I recently said I was the happiest coach, and I will be for the next two years.»
Dzeko Offers Hope for Schalke’s Future
Star striker Dzeko fueled Schalke’s hopes for at least another year, though he plans to decide after the World Cup. «You never want to stop. Football is my life,» the 40-year-old Bosnian told Sky. «First, we’ll celebrate a bit, have a drink – and then there’s plenty of time to think about it.» Becker joked, «I’ll get him really drunk today. Then I’ll sort it out.»
Winter signing Dzeko, who actively shared party insights on Instagram, was just one of many successful acquisitions by Sporting Director Frank Baumann this season. The biggest, however, remains Muslic, who has transformed from a critically viewed unknown into a celebrated savior within a year.
Muslic, the 13th Schalke coach since 2019, expressed «absolute gratitude and awe» to Nitro. After the final whistle at 10:24 PM, he retreated to pray before fully savoring the moment with the fans. He left the VIP party early around 1 AM, while the city’s celebrations were still in full swing.
Schalke 04: Promotion Party to Continue in Ibiza
An exceptional atmosphere had already prevailed in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday afternoon. According to police, around 20,000 Schalke fans marched from the market square in Buer to the stadium, many without tickets. Bars and pubs were overflowing.
The feared pitch invasion in the stadium was averted. Players received beer in plastic cups and cans, while chants of «S04 is back» and «Anyone not jumping is a BVB fan» echoed from the stands towards their disliked rivals. «Unbelievable. This is exactly how we imagined it,» Becker told ZDF Sportstudio.
According to Bild, the party marathon is set to continue in Ibiza on Monday. Becker is expected to lead the celebrations there as well. «I’m the absolute captain when it comes to partying,» said the Schalke native. «No one is leaving here before 7 AM today, or you’ll get a slap from me.»