FC Schalke 04 can advance with a win against Fortuna Düsseldorf this weekend. What the club absolutely wants to prevent is that spectators storm the pitch. Last time there were some seriously injured people.
It seems to be just a formality that the FC Schalke 04 returns to the Bundesliga after three years in the second division. A home win on Saturday evening (from 8:30 p.m. in the audio stream and in the live ticker at sportschau.de) against relegation-threatened Fortuna Düsseldorf would also mathematically mean promotion.
The emotions and enthusiasm among the fans are already correspondingly high – and the effects that could arise from this.
The fears that are currently affecting the club outside of its sporting mission should not be underestimated. Despite all the necessary euphoria in the event of promotion, it is about ensuring the safety of the around 61,000 visitors. Because the enthusiasm around the club can get out of hand was recently shown during the previous promotion in the 2021/22 season.
Deep trenches, high costs
At that time, after the decisive victory against FC St. Pauli, there was a storm – the unauthorized entry into the interior – which resulted in some seriously injured people. The structural condition of the stadium is anything but suitable for using the spectator stands as a springboard for visiting the pitch.
There is sometimes a height difference of several meters between the stands and the playing field. In some places, fans would have to overcome up to 3.8 meters – and would hit extremely hard concrete on the ground when jumping.
In addition to the danger to the health of the spectators, the Ruhr area club is also threatened with additional costs of up to a seven-tier amount if the pitch is stormed, which Schalke would miss out on when investing in the new season.
Schalke must ensure safety
The club itself did not comment on possible or changed security measures before the game. But it is also clear that Schalke, as the organizers, are responsible for ensuring maximum security – and they will take some measures. The significant increase in security personnel could be one of several consequences of this.
It is also heard that the team would also like this restraint from the fans so that they can then start a big celebration in a different way. The club should also make preparations for this. However, if this discipline were missing in the stands, it would not be surprising that the players would retreat into the catacombs of the arena – and a large joint celebration would spontaneously end.
But for the emotions to spill over, Miron Muslic’s team still needs a win. Against a Düsseldorf Fortuna that is still fighting for survival in the 2nd league.
Our sources:
Broadcast: WDR.de, “Schalke’s promotion? But without a pitch storm”, April 29, 2026, 5:01 p.m
