Contract extended in March 2021 – Schalke needs the money
The partnership was initiated in 2007 by the then chairman of the supervisory board, Clemens Tönnies, who describes himself as a personal friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Originally, the contract with Gazprom would have expired in 2022, but Schalke and Gazprom extended the contract early in March 2021 until 2025.
Schalke pressed debts of around 240 million euros in 2021. The relegation from the Bundesliga also ensures a lack of income. The contract with Gazprom was therefore economically important for Schalke. According to media reports, Schalke should collect 10 million euros per season in the 2nd Bundesliga, which is an extraordinary amount. In the event of a rise, numbers from Bundesliga times of up to 20 million euros should be possible again.
“With this league-independent extension, Gazprom is sending a strong signal of loyalty and cohesion in the current situation, thereby contributing to the economic stability of the club.”Matthias Warnig, CEO of Nord Stream 2 AG and member of the Schalke supervisory board, was quoted as saying.
Nord Stream 2 – stopped by the federal government, often visible on Schalke
Nord Stream 2, the planned Baltic Sea pipeline between Russia and Germany, is also omnipresent at Schalke. At home games, the project’s logo appears on advertising boards and on the arena’s video cube. On Tuesday (February 22, 2022), the German government stopped the approval process for Nord Stream 2 in response to Russia’s actions against Ukraine. When asked by the sports show, the club did not initially answer whether this cooperation for Schalke was up for debate.