After three long seasons away from Germany's top flight, Schalke are finally back where they belong. The Royal Blues sealed their return to the Bundesliga on Saturday with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Fortuna Dusseldorf at a jubilant Veltins-Arena.
The hero of the hour was none other than Kenan Karaman, Schalke's leading marksman, who netted the decisive goal in the 15th minute. His 14th strike of the season proved to be the difference, sending the famous blue-and-white faithful into raptures. With promotion now secured, Paderborn look poised to join them as the second automatic qualifier.
This season's success has been a true team effort. The January arrival of veteran Bosnian striker Edin Džeko added experience and firepower for the crucial run-in, while goalkeeper Loris Karius has rediscovered his best form—a remarkable turnaround for a player who endured a nightmare in the 2018 Champions League final. "Good. Not bad!" Džeko beamed to Sky after the match. "We wanted this win, we wanted to celebrate with the fans." When asked about the much-anticipated derby against Borussia Dortmund next season, he added with a smile: "Let's see. First of all, we celebrate. I'm very happy to have decided in January to play here."
The promotion also marks a stunning achievement for coach Miron Muslić. A surprise appointment given his previous stints at Cercle Brugge and Plymouth Argyle, the Croatian has masterminded a return to the big time in his very first season at the helm. It's a remarkable turnaround for a club that finished 10th and 14th in the previous two second-tier campaigns—the latter being their worst-ever finish in the modern German league system (since 1963).
Yet there's a note of caution among the Schalke faithful. The last time they earned promotion, in 2022, their Bundesliga return lasted just one painful season before another relegation. But this feels different. As recently as 2018, the Royal Blues were Bundesliga runners-up—the seventh time they've finished second in Germany's top flight. While they've never won the Bundesliga title itself, the club's rich history includes multiple German championships from the pre-Bundesliga era.
For now, the focus is on celebration. Schalke are back, and the Bundesliga just got a whole lot more interesting.