FC Schalke 04
Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as FC Schalke 04 (German: [ɛf tseː ˈʃalkə nʊl fiːɐ̯] ⓘ), Schalke 04 (German: [ˌʃalkə nʊl ˈfiːɐ̯] ⓘ), or abbreviated as S04 (German: [ˈɛs nʊl fiːɐ̯] ⓘ), is a professional German football and multi-sports club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The "04" in the club's name derives from its formation in 1904. Schalke have been one of the most popular professional football teams in Germany, even though the club's heyday was in the 1930s and 1940s. Schalke play in the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of the German football league system, following relegation from the Bundesliga in 2022–23. As of 2023, the club has 178,000 members, making it the second-largest football club in Germany and the fourth-largest club in the world in terms of membership. Other activities offered by the club include athletics, basketball, handball, table tennis, winter sports and eSports.
| Full name | Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V. | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Die Königsblauen (The Royal Blues) Die Knappen (The Miners) | |||
| Short name | S04 | |||
| Founded | 4 May 1904 as Westfalia Schalke | |||
| Ground | Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen | |||
| Capacity | 62,273 | |||
| Chairman | Jens Buchta | |||
| Head coach | Karel Geraerts | |||
| League | 2. Bundesliga | |||
| 2022–23 | Bundesliga, 17th of 18 (relegated) | |||
| Website | Club website | |||
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Schalke have won seven German championships, five DFB-Pokals, one DFB Ligapokal, one DFL-Supercup and one UEFA Cup. In 1937, Schalke became the first German club to win the double. Since 2001, Schalke's stadium has been the Veltins-Arena. Schalke hold a long-standing rivalry with Ruhr neighbours Borussia Dortmund, known as the Revierderby.