Schalke 04 continues to wriggle around the only correct consequence of the invasion of Ukraine: the termination of the partnership with the Russian state-owned company Gazprom.
Schalke and Gazprom. This marriage has always been ill-fated. Arranged 15 years ago in the back rooms of the Kremlin between the chop emperor Clemens Tönnies and warmonger Vladimir Putin, it caused the royal blue family a lot of grief and worry.
At least now the time has come for the divorce. Now, because the Russian state – which owns energy giant Gazprom – is bombing targets in Ukraine and invading the sovereign state from multiple flanks. But Schalke hesitates. The proud Ruhrpottklub is too dependent on the gas millions from St. Petersburg. Gazprom is to pump nine million euros a year to Gelsenkirchen. An astronomical sum by second division standards.
Schalke has two solutions in front of their noses
A sum that the Bundesliga relegated, who has been carrying liabilities in the three-digit million range for years, needs to survive. The Gazprom payments played a large part in the fact that the miners were able to declare the mission of resurgence immediately after going into the football lower house.
But is throwing yourself at the company, which reports to Russia, really the only solution FC Schalke 04 has up their sleeve to bring about a return to the top tier of German football? That is the question that CEO Bernd Schröder and Supervisory Board Chairman Axel Hefer are currently trying to figure out in the belly of the Veltins Arena. They would have two possible solutions right under their noses.
First of all, there is Veltins’ long-standing partner. The Sauerland brewery has been loyal to the S04 for almost 30 years, and the jerseys with the logo of the beer brand were a bestseller around the turn of the millennium. Like many other sponsors, such as the insurer R+V, Veltins did not simply let Schalke fall after the bitter relegation last summer. Instead, the contract between the two parties was demonstratively extended. According to the club song, Veltins made it clear to the club management: “A thousand friends who stand together, then FC Schalke will never go under.”
Schalke could cut the last connection to the Tönnies era
Exactly this cohesion and this unshakable loyalty of millions of fans and sympathizers is Schalke’s greatest security in the current situation. A broad consortium of sponsors with Veltins at the top could at least cushion Schalke financially if Gazprom were to be terminated immediately.
The other approach could be called Axel Hefer. The 44-year-old is the founder and managing director of the online travel search engine Trivago. A billion-dollar company that advertises, among other things, as a premium partner for Champions League title holder FC Chelsea. Born in Hagen, he was once bullied by Tönnies’ power clique from Schalke’s management team and has been considered a level-headed leader of Schalke’s realignment since his return and election as chairman of the supervisory board last year. It would be an impressive sign if, with the termination of Gazprom, he could also sever the last ties to the Tönnies era and – at least for the time being until the end of the season – protect his heart club from a big financial bang with Trivago as the main sponsor.
Because, as much reflection is needed: no one who is now demanding the – only correct – consequence knows the exact content of the contract between Schalke and Gazprom. It is quite possible that a unilateral termination of the partnership, which is dated until 2025, would result in a horrendous contractual penalty. This aspect should also put Schröder and Hefer in an awkward position: could the club shell out such a fine and then lose several million euros in sponsorship?
Morally, this question is easy to answer. Now it’s up to Schalke to give the right answer. And negotiate the best possible divorce settlement.