Kenan Karaman made the early promotion perfect with his 14th goal of the season.
Image: dpa
After three years in the 2nd division, Schalke 04 is returning to the Bundesliga.
Image: dpa
Miron Muslic turned Schalke into a top team in just one season.
Image: dpa
Thousands of Schalke supporters went to the arena together on Saturday.
Image: dpa
An evening of football with a gripping atmosphere.
Image: dpa
Kenan Karaman made the early promotion perfect with his 14th goal of the season.
Image: dpa
After three years in the 2nd division, Schalke 04 is returning to the Bundesliga.
Image: dpa
Miron Muslic turned Schalke into a top team in just one season.
Image: dpa
Thousands of Schalke supporters went to the arena together on Saturday.
Image: dpa
An evening of football with a gripping atmosphere.
Image: dpa
Schalke 04 is back in the 1st Bundesliga after more than 1,000 days. Two matchdays before the end of the season, the Royal Blues have been promoted after beating Düsseldorf.
02.05.2026, 22:32
02.05.2026, 22:36
dpa
FC Schalke 04 has made a perfect return to the 1st Bundesliga. On the third-to-last matchday of the second division season, a 1-0 win against relegation candidates Fortuna Düsseldorf on Saturday evening sealed the fifth promotion in the club's history. The last time this was achieved was four years ago.
This promotion was very special, sporting director Youri Mulder emphasized from his seat in the stadium to broadcaster NITRO in the closing minutes. "You can see that in the people all day long. It's not just that we're up there, it's also the way we're doing it. We're playing a great season."
With 67 points and two matchdays remaining, coach Miron Muslic's team can no longer be displaced from one of the two direct promotion places. It doesn't matter what their closest rivals SC Paderborn (58 points), Hannover 96 (57) and SV Elversberg (56), who don't play until Sunday, do.
Karaman scores for 20th win of the season
Captain Kenan Karaman's 14th goal of the season (15th minute) paved the way for the Revierclub's 20th win of the season in the sold-out 61,587-seater arena. Even star striker Edin Dzeko got his moment to shine on what was a perfect evening for the blue and whites.
The 40-year-old, who recently suffered a shoulder injury, was back in the squad for the first time since mid-March and came on as a substitute in the 68th minute against Düsseldorf. However, he failed to score this time. However, his tally of six goals in nine games is one of the guarantors of promotion.
Only one defeat this year
Schalke's Bundesliga comeback after 1071 days is well deserved in sporting terms. Since matchday 13, the miners have been top of the table - with the exception of matchday 22, when Paderborn were top for a week. They have only lost one of their 15 competitive matches so far this year and could crown their promotion with the second division championship at the end.
They did so in 2022, but the club was relegated the following year and then spent two years fighting against relegation to the third division. This season, however, things are different, with coach Muslic, who was hired in the summer, turning things around.
From crisis team to top team
The 43-year-old turned a team in crisis into a top team in just one season. Schalke's sporting director Frank Baumann discovered the initially unknown coach. Having only been appointed just over a year ago, the former long-serving sporting director of Werder Bremen set the course for Schalke's sporting upswing with his coaching and clever squad decisions - which was crowned with promotion after just one year.
