German giants Schalke 04 have officially secured their return to the Bundesliga. A hard-fought 1-0 victory over Fortuna Duesseldorf on Saturday ended the club's three-year stint in the second division.
Kenan Karaman proved to be the hero, scoring his 15th goal of the season in the 15th minute. The win moves Schalke to 67 points—10 points clear of third-placed Hannover, who have only three games left to play.
A key factor in Schalke’s late-season surge has been the arrival of veteran striker Edin Dzeko. The 40-year-old former Manchester City and Inter Milan star has been in clinical form since joining in January, recording six goals and three assists in just eight appearances.
"We wanted this win. We wanted to celebrate with our fans," Dzeko told Sky Germany after the match. When asked about his future in the top flight, the striker remained non-committal but added, "I'm really happy I chose to come here in January."
Schalke, seven-time German champions and Champions League semi-finalists as recently as 2011, have endured a turbulent few years. Following their 2021 relegation, they bounced back immediately, only to be relegated again in 2023. Last season, the club struggled significantly, finishing a lowly 14th in the second tier.
With a top-two finish now guaranteed, Schalke will be crowned Bundesliga 2 champions if second-placed Paderborn fails to win against Elversberg on Sunday.
Schalke follows in the footsteps of another "fallen giant," Hamburg, who returned to the top flight last season and have successfully maintained their status this year.
