Enables reduction of liabilities
©IMAGO
A good year after the founding of “Auf Schalke eG”, the development cooperative bought shares in the FC Schalke 04 arena for the first time. For around 7.5 million euros, the development cooperative acquired part of the shares in the Veltins Arena stadium company, which the club previously held, as the heavily indebted second division team announced.
“The development cooperative makes it possible to get fresh equity into the club. Thanks to the transaction, we can continue to reduce liabilities and, little by little, gain new freedom of action in our decisions,” said Schalke board member Christina Rühl-Hamers, who is responsible for finance.
With part of this money, S04 is making use of the right to buy back shares that have been owned by Stadtwerke Gelsenkirchen since 2009. This means that the Royal Blues now have over 50 percent of the shares in the arena again and thus have the necessary majority of votes for central decisions.
The support cooperative “Auf Schalke eG” was founded at the end of 2024 to offer members and companies a democratic way to support Schalke 04. For around a year, around 190,000 club members and companies have been able to purchase shares in the Veltins Arena for 250 euros each, plus a one-off 75 euros entry fee (500 euros for companies), which is used exclusively for administrative purposes.
The income is primarily intended to be used to pay off debts. According to the association, more than 8,000 members have subscribed for shares worth around 8 million euros since subscriptions began. Ultimately, however, the project fell far short of expectations – it was supposed to bring the club as much as 50 million euros in equity capital. The club is currently burdened by liabilities worth three-digit millions.
