Schalke are a working-class club, and their first home – the Glückauf-Kampfbahn – was built on the grounds of a mine in the 1920s with the help of the players themselves. The Royal Blues won their seven national championships while based there – the last came in 1958 – before moving to the Parkstadion in 1973. Built in time for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, the Parkstadion was also used as a venue for the 1988 European Championship and even a visit by the Pope.
With football swiftly changing, however, a new stadium was required to bring fans closer to the pitch and offer more covered seats. In 1998 work began on the Veltins-Arena, which has been Schalke’s home since 2001.
At the time, it became the most modern, multi-functional football stadium in Europe. It includes, after all, a roof that can be closed within 30 minutes, and a pitch that can be pushed outside the stadium so that the hallowed turf will not be damaged during big concerts, winter sports events or boxing bouts.
