- Address: Arenaring 1, Gelsenkirchen
- Country: Germany
- Capacity: 62,000
- Opened: 13 August 2001
- Main use: Football
- Tenants: Schalke (football)
Extra stadium info – VELTINS-Arena
The VELTINS-Arena opened as the Arena AufSchalke. It is known as a venue for several events, like concerts, football, handball, ice hockey and motorcycle speedway. On 9 June 2006, the stadium hosted its first-ever FIFA World Cup match, which was won by the national football team of Ecuador after defeating Poland. The second FIFA World Cup match at the venue was won by the Czech Republic after defeating the United States. In 2010, a crowd of 77,000 saw the national ice hockey team of Germany defeat the United States at the stadium. It set a then world record attendance for ice hockey.
Schalke
FC Schalke 04 use the VELTINS-Arena for home games. The football club is among the most popular sports clubs from Germany. Schalke became one of the most valuable sports clubs in the world. They were crowned German football champions in 1934 for the first time in their history. FC Schalke 04 were crowned German football champions four times in the 1930s. Schalke won their first-ever international trophy in 1997. That year, they won the UEFA Cup after beating the Italian side Internazionale. FC Schalke 04 drew an average home attendance of 39,000 during that domestic league season.
Almost champions
Schalke finished one point behind FC Bayern München in the German top-flight football league in 2001. They almost won another German league title and it would have been the first league title for Schalke since 1958. Before the last round of matches, Bayern München lead Schalke by three points but with an inferior goal difference. Schalke managed to win their last game 5-3. Shortly before this match ended, Bayern gave up a 90th-minute goal against HSV. As the news spread quickly, many Schalke supporters believed their side had won their first league title since 1958. Patrik Andersson scored the decisive equaliser, the only league goal during his Bayern career, on a Stefan Effenberg pass. Andersson scored in the last minute of the game.
Manuel Peter Neuer
Manuel Peter Neuer, who was born in Gelsenkirchen in 1986, started his professional football career with FC Schalke 04. He is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the history of football. In 2011, Neuer left FC Schalke 04 for FC Bayern München. He won UEFA Champions League titles with Bayern. He broke various records in the Bundesliga. Neuer won the 2014 FIFA World Cup with the national football team of Germany.
