Two weeks ago, the stadium in Gelsenkirchen was breaking from 61,780 fans at a time when their favorites were playing ... away from the "bloodsuckers" (as it is derogatory in "Schalke 04" to call neighbors from Borussia). And the 83,000-strong full house in Dortmund for a quarter was white and blue. It is interesting that the total audience of the two arenas watching the same game nearly broke the European attendance record, which was set at Hampden Park, where Celtic and Aberdeen met in the presence of 146,433 spectators in the Scottish Cup final ".
The past championship in the English Premier League turned out to be as exciting, as predictable: a quartet of leaders guessed before the start of the season. The Bundesliga in this regard, however, was not much different, except for the collapse of the champion champions of its many-year hegemon “Bavaria”, which unexpectedly missed forward “Stuttgart”, “Schalke 04” and “Werder Bremen”. It so happened that the previous “mind, honor and conscience” of German football - Bayern, Dortmund Borussia and Leverkusen Bayer, which have been marked by the finals of the Champions League last ten years, this time solved more modest tasks. This is the same as if Newcastle, Tottenham and Aston Villa fought for first place in foggy Albion.
The last time Schalke 04 became the champion 49 years ago and over the past half century has replaced two stadiums. Two months ago, Schalke was in the lead with a seven-point lead, and it seemed that fate would finally smile “cobalt”. Fans came to the training base with Silver salad bowls and staged a hunt for autographs of future champions. But three defeats at the finish of the tournament crossed out the ambitious hopes of the Gelsenkirchens.
It’s no coincidence that Schalke is compared to Newcastle. Teams from twin cities with huge army of fans chronically perform below their capabilities
Not so long ago, Schalke already went through this. In 2001, at the last moment, the title was pulled out of his hands by Bayern, scoring a decisive goal in the fourth added minute of the guest match with Hamburg. In addition, the “miners” were unsuccessfully joked. The television reporter hastened to declare them champions, and the players, falling into ecstasy, began to celebrate in front of the whole of Germany. But after a few moments, the Gelsenkirchenians learned about the goal of Bavaria ... They still taunt Schalke: shots of six years ago are constantly turning on sports TV channels.
Schalke 04 is named after one of the districts of Gelsenkirchen, the former capital of the coal region, and it is no coincidence that it is compared with Newcastle. Gelsenkirchen and Newcastle are twin cities, the largest industrial centers with huge armies of fans and a reputation for clubs chronically acting below their capabilities. The first twin exchange of supporters occurred in 1999. The representative of the Schalke fan movement, Dirk Martensen, appeared before the president of the Forty, Freddie Shepperd, in a very colorful outfit: a knitted stand for a can of beer hung on his neck, and white-blue ribbons hung on his wrists. When it came to prices, it turned out that the cheapest Schalke home game ticket cost about three pounds. “With this approach, you won’t gain anything,” Shepperd assured. “Our fans want the best to play on the team.” Martensen only smiled ironically: “Two years ago we won the UEFA Cup. And you?"
At Schalke, fans representing the working class run the show. They dictate the club’s policy - Hercules labor and low salaries. At one time, the former “cobalt” boss Rudy Assauer liked to repeat: “It is unacceptable to force the unemployed to buy expensive tickets, thereby providing salaries for highly paid football players.” The unemployment rate in Gelsenkirchen is 20%, but when it comes to the club, here, as in the bathhouse, everyone is equal. Membership in the Schalke fan club guarantees every fan discounts at local supermarkets. The official Stropilo fan club, located in the city center, has 25 employees selling all sorts of things: from cardigans and coffee to concert tickets. And before last year’s World Cup, they were even involved in the tourism business.
The passionate and fair Schalke secretary Peter Peters is worried about the fans with his soul and heart. On the eve of the season, he spent more than 50 hours in negotiations to raise ticket prices. As a result, they agreed on a rise in price of 4 euros, which will happen smoothly over two seasons. Peters looks at the differences over prices philosophically: “Fans consider team victories to be their merit: they know how to create an amazing atmosphere at the stadium. And this is really important. This is not a denim store to choose from. Schalke is their life. ”
A few years ago, Peters arbitrarily raised prices for one of the sectors. “The innovation spread only to 700 seats - but we did not discuss this with the fans, who eventually boycotted the match. The main thing for them was not the price, but that they should listen to their opinion. ”
Stuart Dykes is from Mansfield, but as a fan in Gelsenkirchen he feels more comfortable than in England. Having changed the red colors of Manchester United to blue, he has been living in Germany for 20 years and is a fan of Schalke. “Here I have a say,” Dykes explains.
The team is also affected by the fans. In November, fans wrote an open letter urging football players to play more passionately. It doesn't matter if you win or not; the main thing is to try to win. Mining coach Mirko Slomka read a letter to the players. At the next home game against Bayern, as if emphasizing the seriousness of their claims, the fans were silent for 19 minutes and four seconds (1904 - the year Schalke 04 was founded). And even when Peter Levenkrands led the hosts ahead, the audience reacted with silence. But as soon as the minute hand went to the 19th circle, flaccid claps began to be heard. The noise over the stadium gradually increased. And when the protest came to an end, and a roar began - Levan Kobiashvili scored a second goal in the upper corner. The stadium finally exploded! According to the supporters, they still have goose bumps when they think about it. Meanwhile, the players themselves decided to enter the field with a message for the fans: “We are Schalke, we are passion!”
But there is a fan subculture, and there is a sober monetary calculation. This year, Schalke acquired an unprecedented treasury: the five-year sponsorship contract signed with Gazprom for 125 million euros is the largest in the history of German football. The audit firm Deloitte responded immediately, putting the Rurts in 14th place on the list of the richest clubs in the world. According to Joseph Schnuzenberg, the main inspirer of the deal, who will become the club’s new president next month, the money will help Schalke to promote the brand internationally. "For us it is very important. We are still far from England. If Chelsea belongs to Abramovich, and Liverpool belongs to American billionaires, then our club does without oligarchs. Compared to these clubs, we are like David vs. Goliath. First, we opened a fan shop in Russia. And next year we will begin expansion to the East. ”
“Show me a big country where there is no dirty money. It was calmer with the brewing sponsors. "
Unlike the current president of the club, Gerhard Reberg (the former mayor of Gelsenkirchen with a mining past), Schnuzenberg will have more serious financial opportunities. And he is sure that the fans will love him (“the main thing is the result, not the money”). Meanwhile, many of Schalke's fans are worried about Gazprom’s invasion. The Russian company tried to melt the ice, giving fans 10 thousand club flags. But at the next match, the ultras launched an unambiguous banner: “Tradition is not bought.”
The left-wing fan group that publishes Our Father, the team’s official fans ’magazine, is seriously concerned about the deal. “Show me a big country where there is no dirty money,” the imperative of Dr. Susanna Franke, the leader of the Schalke fan group, is not without rhetoric. - With brewing sponsors, we were somehow calmer. Schalke is our religion, and beer is holy water. ” By the way, on the day of the match, the "service of the mass" begins at 10 in the morning ...
Many fans are ready to sign under the words of their leader. For example, the taxi driver Markko, who emigrated from Finland, has been visiting all Schalke matches in his own T-shirts for the past 35 years. The one that says “Not all Schalke fans are psychopaths, but I'm one of them,” is his favorite. “We don’t know what the deal holds,” Markko worries. - What does Gazprom want from us? What if he breaks the contract? My great-grandmother said: "The Russians do not care at all - only the grave will correct them." Of course, she was referring to the power of those in power, not ordinary people. ”
Meanwhile, the newcomers to the team are unaccustomed to the fan environment. Peter Levenkrands, who arrived during the off-season from the Rangers, took some time to adapt to the Schalke lifestyle. “They talk about the team every day. You can go crazy, the Dane complains. “If we had become champions, a million fans would have come to celebrate the victory in Gelsenkirchen.” In Germany, the club has always been popular. Cinema fans will confirm: in the famous Das Boot film, the entire crew of the submarine consisted of Schalke fans. He was also the previous pope - the late John Paul II.
Levenkrands needed to learn one simple truth: fans are always in the first place. They attend training and dine with the players in the club restaurant. Every year, players are required to visit Schalke fan club affiliates throughout the country (there are a total of 850). Levenkrandsu drove to Leipzig, which is a four-hour drive from Gelsenkirchen. “I did not expect that I would have to go somewhere, but some were noted even in Munich. We went to Leipzig and met a hundred fans there who handed me a symbolic key to the city. ”
And at the general annual meeting of the club, held at the beginning of the season in the stadium, Levenkrands was waiting for another surprise. “I thought it was some kind of party. But it turns out that the leadership discussed with the fans the club budget. Then, veteran fans with an experience of 50-60 years were awarded with medals and a minute of silence honored the memory of those who died last year. I have never seen such a thing. ”
Translation by Andrey KARNAUKHOV