The Royal Blues' home ground has borne the name VELTINS-Arena for exactly two decades. The striking lettering - four-metre-high letters over a length of 42 meters - has been visible from afar over Gelsenkirchen since 2005 and has become a symbol of Schalke's hospitality. Twenty years ago, in July 2005, the C. & A. Veltins brewery took over the naming rights to the arena.
The legendary handshake agreement between Schalke's iconic manager Rudi Assauer and VELTINS general representative Michael Huber resulted in a partnership characterized by continuity. The contract, originally concluded for ten years, has since been extended several times and currently runs until 2027.
At the time, the renaming was approached with a great deal of caution, as stadium name sponsorship was completely new territory throughout Germany - especially for the Schalke soul. However, VELTINS quickly proved to be the ideal partner for Rudi Assauer: unlike many other potential arena name sponsors, the brewery stands for genuine hospitality and thus underlines the character of the arena as a venue for sport, music and culture.
VELTINS was actively involved right from the start: Even before the arena opened in 2001, the brewery supported the planning with its expertise and designed the centrally controlled beer pipeline, which is unique in Europe: Fresh VELTINS flows via four large cooling centers under the stands through a 5500 meter long, refrigerated pipeline system to 40 kiosks. More than 30,000 liters of Pils per match day are served from 135 taps - making the VELTINS-Arena a gastronomic showpiece right from the start.
The Sauerland brewery's involvement with FC Schalke 04 began back in 1997 as a shirt sponsor - since then, VELTINS has become an integral part of Schalke's club life. "Schalke and VELTINS are much more than just a sports sponsorship. Two strong brands that have grown very close together over the years and have implemented many impressive projects together. We are very grateful to VELTINS for the close cooperation and look forward to the years to come," emphasizes Schalke CEO Matthias Tillmann.
Legendary moments of a special partnership
The VELTINS commercials, for which Rudi Assauer and his partner Simone Thomalla appeared together in front of the camera from 2003, remain unforgotten. One advertising motif in particular is legendary: while Rudi Assauer casually puffs on his cigar, Simone Thomalla carries a crate of VELTINS next to him - a tongue-in-cheek break with role clichés that quickly achieved cult status. The partnership with VELTINS also made history beyond that: in 2006, more than 12,000 fans were able to take home a piece of the "holy" Schalke turf at the season finale before the World Cup. Regular visits by fan clubs to the brewery in Grevenstein and joint charity campaigns also show how deeply rooted the connection is in the club and fan community.
Almost 25 years after its opening, the VELTINS-Arena remains one of the most modern and popular venues in Germany. After a record year in 2024 with a total of more than 2.7 million spectators, Gelsenkirchen's "living room" remains a real crowd puller. Whether Bundesliga matches or concerts by world stars such as Taylor Swift, Rammstein and AC/DC - the VELTINS-Arena lives up to its reputation as a multifunctional top location.
Schalke is continuously investing in future-oriented technology in order to continue to fulfill this claim in the future. Name sponsor VELTINS is also involved here: The 7.5-tonne arena lettering was completely converted to energy-saving LED technology back in 2016. Since then, more than 12,000 light-emitting diodes have replaced the old neon tubes and reduced electricity consumption by around 60 percent - a visible commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability.
