For the Haters — Schalke 04

0–11 in Mönchengladbach: Schalke’s greatest footballing humiliation in the Bundesliga was the 0–11 at Borussia Mönchengladbach on 7 January 1967....

For the Haters

0–11 in Mönchengladbach: Schalke’s greatest footballing humiliation in the Bundesliga was the 0–11 at Borussia Mönchengladbach on 7 January 1967....

0–11 in Mönchengladbach: Schalke’s greatest footballing humi...

0–11 in Mönchengladbach: Schalke’s greatest footballing humiliation in the Bundesliga was the 0–11 at Borussia Mönchengladbach on 7 January 1967....

0–11 in Mönchengladbach: Schalke’s greatest footballing humiliation in the Bundesliga was the 0–11 at Borussia Mönchengladbach on 7 January 1967.

1–6 against Real Madrid: in 2014, Real Madrid

1–6 against Real Madrid: in 2014, Real Madrid dismantled Schalke 6–1 in the Veltins-Arena in the Champions League....

1–6 against Real Madrid: in 2014, Real Madrid dismantled Schalke 6–1 in the Veltins-Arena in the Champions League.

1–7 in Munich: one of the low points

1–7 in Munich: one of the low points in Schalke’s Bundesliga history came in September 1977 at Munich’s Olympiastadion.

1–7 in Munich: one of the low points in Schalke’s Bundesliga history came in September 1977 at Munich’s Olympiastadion. A year after thrashing Bayern 7–0, Schalke arrived there as league leaders and lost 1–7 to a struggling Bayern side, even though Bayern had to play a man down from the 28th minute onward. A textbook case of revenge completed.

Four minutes in May: few title finishes have

Four minutes in May: few title finishes have moved the Bundesliga as much as matchday 34 on 19 May 2001.

Four minutes in May: few title finishes have moved the Bundesliga as much as matchday 34 on 19 May 2001. After a 5–3 win in a completely insane match against SpVgg Unterhaching, in which Schalke had been 0–2 and 2–3 down, the club believed itself German champion at the final whistle. Title rivals Bayern Munich were trailing 0–1 at HSV. Sergej Barbarez had scored for Hamburg in the 90th minute. What followed entered league folklore. “HSV, HSV” echoed around the Parkstadion, where the gates to the infield had been opened as a precaution. “They are falling over each other,” commentator Werner Hansch shouted over Schalke’s supposed title celebrations. While incredible scenes unfolded on the turf of the old Gelsenkirchen stadium, coach Huub Stevens sent his team into the dressing room for safety. Outside, though, people noticed the match in Hamburg was still going on. Schalke’s own stadium screen then delivered their footballing execution. Patrik Andersson scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time for Bayern to make it 1–1 at HSV and crowned Bayern champions after all. Schalke fell into the valley of tears. Extra bitter: TV reporter Rolf “Rollo” Fuhrmann had previously passed on the false information that the game in Hamburg was over. It became the most famous fake news in Bundesliga history. Schalke’s shortest title celebration lasted exactly 4 minutes and 38 seconds.

0–2 in the Derby of the Century: Dortmund,

0–2 in the Derby of the Century: Dortmund, 12 May 2007.

0–2 in the Derby of the Century: Dortmund, 12 May 2007. A unique constellation in the history of the Ruhr derby. Schalke had the chance to become German champions in the stadium of arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund. The BVB players, who had only just escaped relegation fears a week earlier in Wolfsburg, wanted nothing to do with that. “We wanted to save the season ideologically,” striker Alexander Frei said in 2019 – and then led by example. He made it 1–0 before the break and set the entire Signal Iduna Park alight. After Ebi Smolarek’s 2–0, Schalke’s title dream was virtually dead. VfB Stuttgart won 3–2 in nearby Bochum, moved to the top on matchday 33 and then beat Energie Cottbus 2–1 to win the title. Dortmund had salvaged a miserable season with that derby win. When everything was decided a week later, the black-and-yellow mockery poured down on Gelsenkirchen. A plane circled above the Veltins-Arena carrying a black-and-yellow banner: “A whole lifetime, and never the trophy in your hands.”

Klopp spoils Schalke’s title: in 2004/05, Mainz 05

Klopp spoils Schalke’s title: in 2004/05, Mainz 05 were playing in the Bundesliga for the first time.

Klopp spoils Schalke’s title: in 2004/05, Mainz 05 were playing in the Bundesliga for the first time. The professional outsiders from Rheinhessen produced a sensation and knocked leaders Schalke off top spot on matchday 26. Rookie coach Jürgen Klopp’s side won 2–1 through goals from Fabian Gerber and Michael Thurk, shaking the little Bruchwegstadion to its foundations. A week after beating Bayern in a top-of-the-table clash, Schalke delivered a lifeless display in Mainz, slipped from first place and ended up as runners-up behind Bayern. To make matters worse, a week after the season ended, they also lost the 2005 DFB-Pokal final in Berlin to Bayern 1–2.

Downfall in Manchester: in the 2019 Champions League

Downfall in Manchester: in the 2019 Champions League round of 16, Schalke suffered the heaviest European defeat in their history to that point.

Downfall in Manchester: in the 2019 Champions League round of 16, Schalke suffered the heaviest European defeat in their history to that point. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City beat them 7–0. It cost coach Domenico Tedesco his job. The first leg in Gelsenkirchen had only been lost 3–2 after Schalke had led 2–1.

1–8 at Bayern – Toni in a hail

1–8 at Bayern – Toni in a hail of goals.

1–8 at Bayern – Toni in a hail of goals. Euro 1980 winner Harald “Toni” Schumacher on Schalke was one giant embarrassment. After his exit from Köln and from the national team, the goalkeeper wanted a fresh Bundesliga start with the Knappen – and went under. On 9 April 1988, with Schumacher in goal, Schalke suffered the third-heaviest defeat in their Bundesliga history: 1–8 at Bayern’s Olympiastadion.

The money: even in the first relegation season

The money: even in the first relegation season of 1980/81, Schalke were bleeding deep red in sporting terms.

The money: even in the first relegation season of 1980/81, Schalke were bleeding deep red in sporting terms. The decisive 0–6 at home to neighbours Bochum on 9 May 1981 became the heaviest home defeat in Bundesliga history and contributed heavily to that season’s club record of 88 goals conceded.

In 1982/83 Schalke went down again, this time

In 1982/83 Schalke went down again, this time as bottom club.

In 1982/83 Schalke went down again, this time as bottom club. Rarely had the “workers’ club” offered more ammunition to its mockers than in that second relegation season.

Most defeats: despite a club-record 20 defeats in

Most defeats: despite a club-record 20 defeats in 1982/83, Schalke still somehow reached the new relegation playoff against Bayer 05 Uerdingen....

Most defeats: despite a club-record 20 defeats in 1982/83, Schalke still somehow reached the new relegation playoff against Bayer 05 Uerdingen.

Fewest points: 22 points remain Schalke’s worst Bundesliga

Fewest points: 22 points remain Schalke’s worst Bundesliga total.

Fewest points: 22 points remain Schalke’s worst Bundesliga total. Converted to the three-point era, it would be 30 – and even that number has never been undercut since 1995/96.

Bottom of the home table: six wins and

Bottom of the home table: six wins and just 15 points at the Parkstadion left Schalke 18th and last in the Bundesliga home table....

Bottom of the home table: six wins and just 15 points at the Parkstadion left Schalke 18th and last in the Bundesliga home table.

Three coaches: neither 1966 World Cup runner-up Siegfried

Three coaches: neither 1966 World Cup runner-up Siegfried “Sigi” Held, nor emergency manager Rudi Assauer, nor “miracle man” Jürgen Sundermann could keep Schalke up.

Three coaches: neither 1966 World Cup runner-up Siegfried “Sigi” Held, nor emergency manager Rudi Assauer, nor “miracle man” Jürgen Sundermann could keep Schalke up. Sundermann took exactly 1.0 point per game from his 16 matches.

First top-flight club to lose the relegation playoff:

First top-flight club to lose the relegation playoff: in 1982 Bayer Leverkusen had survived the newly introduced playoff against Kickers Offenbach.

First top-flight club to lose the relegation playoff: in 1982 Bayer Leverkusen had survived the newly introduced playoff against Kickers Offenbach. In 1983, Schalke became the first first-division side to go down through it, losing 3–1 and 1–1 to Uerdingen.