The history of Schalke 04
Key milestones in the club's history, in chronological order.
The key milestones at a glance.
Categories
Competitions
Nicknames through the years Three names tell a story of near misses, late goals and an unbeaten season. Read the storiesClose the stories
Bundesliga, cup triumph and the Parkstadion
A founding Bundesliga member
Schalke begin life in the newly founded Bundesliga with a 2-0 win over Stuttgart.
The fixed match against Bielefeld
The 1-0 home defeat by Arminia Bielefeld is among the fixed matches in the Bundesliga scandal.
Seven goals away to Bayern
Schalke win 7-0 away to Bayern Munich.
Relegations and promotions
First Bundesliga relegation
The 2-0 defeat at Kaiserslautern leaves Schalke unable to reach safety.
Relegation through the play-off
Following a 3-1 first-leg defeat, a 1-1 draw against Bayer Uerdingen is insufficient.
Third relegation and eventual lowest finish
The 3-1 defeat in Cologne confirms Schalke’s third Bundesliga relegation.
Eurofighters, heartbreak and a new arena
Jens Lehmann heads Schalke level in the derby
Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann rescues a 2–2 draw for Schalke at Borussia Dortmund with a stoppage-time header on December 19, 1997.
Champions of hearts
Schalke 045:3
SpVgg UnterhachingMatch 2 · May 19, 2001 · Location: Gelsenkirchen Stadium: ParkstadionSchalke win the final Bundesliga match at the Parkstadion 5-3 against Unterhaching.
Bundesliga debut at the new arena
Five days after the opening ceremony, Schalke play their first competitive match at Arena AufSchalke.
European highlights and Ruhr derbies
The derby of the century
Trailing 4-0 at half-time in Dortmund, Schalke fight back to draw 4-4.
Crisis and recovery
Relegation after 30 Bundesliga seasons
A 1-0 defeat in Bielefeld confirms relegation on matchday 30.
Relegated again on the final day
A 4-2 defeat in Leipzig confirms another relegation.
