After three long seasons in Germany's second division, Schalke 04 are finally back where they belong. A hard-fought 1-0 home victory over Fortuna Düsseldorf on Saturday secured their return to the Bundesliga, sending their massive fanbase into celebration mode.

For a club of this stature, the second flight always felt like a misfit. Seven-time German champions, Schalke boast over 200,000 members—trailing only Bayern Munich and bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund in Germany. Their Veltins-Arena regularly packs in over 60,000 fans, a testament to loyalty that has never wavered despite the struggles.

But the road back wasn't easy. Schalke's 2021 relegation—their first in three decades—was a gut punch made worse by the financial toll of the pandemic. An immediate return to the top flight gave hope, but they slipped again, and this time the recovery took longer.

"We are not a second division club when it comes to fans or infrastructure," CEO Matthias Tillmann told AFP. "Obviously, we are there now, and there are reasons for that. We've made mistakes on the sporting side and with capital allocation. The first relegation in 2021, at the start of Covid, was very tough financially. Then we immediately went down again—that's not good."

Another blow came in 2022 when Schalke's lucrative sponsorship with Russian energy giant Gazprom was terminated following the invasion of Ukraine. Yet through it all, the fans kept showing up, filling the stadium week after week.

Last season was particularly brutal. Schalke finished 14th, spending much of the campaign flirting with relegation. It was, as sporting director Frank Baumann put it, "their worst season ever."

But this summer, the club made bold moves. They hired coach Miron Muslic and brought in Baumann to lead the sporting department. The new leadership focused on changing the culture—especially the mindset that had players afraid of fan reactions after losses.

"In the past couple of years, maybe the players were afraid of the reaction of supporters when they lose," Baumann said. "But this mindset has shifted."

The promotion also sets the stage for one of football's greatest rivalries to return: the Revierderby. Schalke vs. Borussia Dortmund is more than just a match—it's a clash of identities in the Ruhr region, and fans on both sides have been waiting eagerly for its comeback.

For Schalke, the journey back to the Bundesliga is about more than just points on a table. It's about redemption, resilience, and finally making good on past mistakes. The giants are back.