Westfalen-Blau

Lore & Background

The club was founded on 4 May 1904 as Westfalia Schalke. Since 2001, Schalke's stadium has been the Veltins-Arena. Schalke hold a long-standing rivalry with Ruhr neighbors Borussia Dortmund, known as the Revierderby.

In Their Own Story

The rain begins to tap against the translucent roof as the clock strikes matchday evening. Inside, the air is thick with the scent of bratwurst and anticipation. Suddenly, the massive mechanical groan of the sliding pitch echoes through the concourse as the grass field glides into place under the floodlights. A hush falls for a heartbeat before the 'Königsblau' roar erupts from the Südtribüne, a sound so loud it vibrates in your chest, signaling that the temple is awake and ready to defend its colors.

Reader's Guide

Schalke have won seven German championships, five DFB-Pokals, one DFB Ligapokal, one DFL-Supercup, one UEFA Cup and two UEFA Intertoto Cups. In 1937, Schalke became the first German club to win the double. As of September 2025, the club has 210,000 members, making it the third-largest football club in Germany and the sixth-largest club in the world in terms of membership.

Did You Know?

• The '04' in the club's name derives from its formation in 1904.
• Schalke's nickname Die Knappen comes from an old German word for 'miners' because the team drew many players and supporters from coal miners.
• Schalke's second nickname is Die Königsblauen, derived from their blue and white kit.
• The club's dominant style of play in the 1920s became known as the Schalker Kreisel.