2nd league
Despite sporting misery: S04 makes millions in profit
Schalke 04’s CFO, Christina Rühl-Hamers, was able to announce a positive result. photo
© Wolf von Dewitz/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
In terms of sport, FC Schalke is currently on the decline. At least it was possible to reduce the debt level. But the days of lavish revenue from the Bundesliga are over for the relegated team.
The one in sporting crisis FC Schalke 04 has managed to reduce its debts.
In the first half of 2023, the second division football team generated an increase in sales of 55.9 million euros to 81.7 million euros from January to June, particularly due to its membership in the Bundesliga, as can be seen from the published annual report. This results in a half-year surplus of 9.3 million euros.
“Our work over the past few years has borne fruit and made it possible to pursue three central goals in parallel: to set up a budget for the team that is competitive in relation to the sporting goals, to consistently continue to reduce liabilities and ultimately to achieve a positive result,” said CFO Christina Rühl-Hamers.
Total liabilities slightly reduced
Schalke generated significantly higher revenues in the areas of match operations, events and media exploitation rights. Total liabilities decreased at least slightly from 180.1 million euros at the end of 2022 to 165.1 million euros and financial liabilities from 139.8 million euros to 126.5 million euros. According to its own information, the club expects a profit in the single-digit million range for the entire year 2023.
Rühl-Hamers emphasized that these half-year figures reflect the importance of being part of the Bundesliga. “That’s exactly why we started our mission to stay in the league with a licensed player budget of around 40 million euros.” The relegation was a “noticeable setback with lasting financial effects”. Sporting success therefore remains the central lever for the club’s financial projects.
Schalke is in a sporting crisis
The return to the Bundesliga is currently a long way off. Schalke is 16th in the second division. five points behind a non-relegation place – there is great fear of a direct march through to the 3rd league, which would have far more serious consequences. With regard to sponsorship, it is also important that “we present a better sporting image as quickly as possible,” demanded the CFO.
The search for a new main sponsor is high on the board’s agenda. The current contract ends on June 30, 2024. It is all the more important to “do everything together to break the negative trend in the short term”.