After the start of funding cooperative
© Imago
After only two defeats from the last ten games, FC Schalke 04 not only gave hope for better sporting times, but also for a financial upswing. The supporting cooperative of the highly indebted district club is said to be supporting columns. “The biggest project since the construction of the arena” can have a positive impact on the future, at least the CEO Matthias Tillmann is certain, as he interviewed in an interview with “At Broski-the sports show“Optimistically betrayed.
Since January 22, the approximately 190,000 members of the second division, companies and associations have been able to acquire shares at the Veltins Arena. With the proceeds from the sale of the stadium parts, debts are to be repaid – but not only. “With 50 million equity that the cooperative brings to the club, the world would change to Schalke,” stated Tillmann. “What do I mean by that? We could invest in sports immediately – so there is more money in transfers. ”
The fans’ rush had the server of a service provider collapsed at the start of the drawing, and in the first three days the cooperative redeemed 3.5 million euros hoped for by Schalke. Each sum will help the club sustainably, Tillmann emphasized. “If the cooperative generates less than 50 million euros, of course that also helps. But: less helps – and it takes longer. You can then repay liabilities so that you do not have to pay them back with interest in the same extent next year and so more money will be released in the long run – but not immediately. ”
Money from the cooperative does not flow completely into Schalke squad
Schalke is currently in debt with EUR 162 million, in 2023 the club had to pay EUR 16 million for repayment and interest. “It is important to me that people understand that if 20 million euros come together through the funding cooperative, we do not also have 20 million euros more for the squad. That is not the case, ”said Tillmann. “That’s not the point either. This is a long -term project to reduce the contaminated sites of FC Schalke 04 in order to invest in the future of the S04 in subsequent steps. ”
The royal blue consciously chose the cooperative model, such as Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli. Tillmann explained that they wanted to receive the community concept. “We don’t want any investor to come from outside and change our community through his participation. We prefer that many give little instead of someone giving a lot and then dictating what the world of tomorrow looks like on Schalke. So that what we all love and live here on Schalke, in the future. ”
And what is Tillmann’s personal goal with the cooperative off the 50 million euros? “My wish is that I look back and say in seven, eight or nine years: Boah, we are again a size in German football and we did that because we laid and participated with the funding cooperative at the time.”
