Schalke 04
Football Club

Schalke hail from the Ruhr district of North Rhine-Westphalia and have a deep-rooted working-class philosophy and ethics. Initially formed in 1904 by a group of working-class high school students, the team enjoyed a lot of success before the war, as their greatest legend, Ernst Kuzorra, led them to victory in six championships. However, the early years when the team joined the Bundesliga were mixed, when scandal rocked the community and the team.

The team recovered, though, and with the turn of the millennium, they were again among the German football elite. An exciting thing about Schalke 04 is that they have the second biggest fanbase of any team in Germany, only beaten by Bayern Munich. They are a team that deeply shares the highs and the lows with their followers. Currently, they play in 2. Bundesliga, after being relegated in the 2022-2023 season, finishing 17th with 35 points.