FC Schalke 04 secured promotion to the Bundesliga on matchday 32 of the 2. Liga. A 1-0 win against Fortuna Düsseldorf marked the club's fifth promotion. Captain Kenan Karaman scored the decisive goal.
FC Schalke 04 defeated Fortuna Düsseldorf 1-0 in a sold-out stadium with 61,587 spectators. Kenan Karaman scored in the 15th minute for his 14th goal of the season, paving the way for the 20th win. With 67 points, the Gelsenkirchen side are unbeatable for promotion spots, regardless of results from chasers SC Paderborn (58 points), Hannover 96 (57 points), and SV Elversberg (56 points).
Captain Karaman was emotional: "I can't find the right words. We've waited a long time for this moment. The whole club, the whole city have had very tough years behind them. I'm incredibly proud of the club and the team, we've absolutely earned this." Coach Miron Muslić, who joined in the summer, praised his team: "From day one many things were difficult and riddled with a thousand hurdles on our path, but from day one we believed in ourselves."
The club extended Muslić's contract to 2028. Player Ron Schallenberg called out in the stadium: "Let it all out, celebrate as long as you can. We're back!" Fans chanted joyfully, donned "Nie mehr 2. Liga" T-shirts, and celebrated with beer on the pitch – without a pitch invasion. Rival Borussia Dortmund congratulated on social media with an airplane banner: "Almost missed you."
After 1071 days in the 2. Liga, Schalke returns. They topped the table since matchday 13, mostly, and lost only one of 15 competitive games this year. Edin Džeko returned from injury and was substituted on.
