Chapter 162: The Value of Experience
Gelsenkirchen is a small city of only 260,000 people, yet it boasts a stadium that holds over 50,000 spectators. Known originally as AufSchalke—though later renamed the Veltins-Arena—José still preferred its original name, which exudes a grandeur rarely matched elsewhere.
For domestic league matches, the stadium accommodates more than 61,000 fans (including standing areas). In European competitions, however, only seated tickets are allowed, reducing capacity to roughly 53,000–54,000. It's remarkable that a city of just over 200,000 residents can support such a large venue; for comparison, Turin, home to Juventus, has over a million people, yet their stadium typically holds only 40,000–50,000 fans.
What's truly astonishing is that AufSchalke is almost always sold out—about one in every five residents attends every match. This level of support is unique, as German fans are known for their loyalty. Even clubs in small cities, like Dortmund with 600,000 inhabitants, boast stadiums that hold 80,000; Wolfsburg, with a population of 120,000, regularly fills a 30,000-seat arena, and similar examples exist at Leverkusen and even Hoffenheim.
Bundesliga match tickets are among the cheapest in Europe—far less expensive than those in La Liga or Serie A, and nowhere near the sky-high prices of the English Premier League. Although English fans are known for their passion—and their clubs excel at extracting revenue—German football is seen as affordable, making it a true mass-market entertainment. This widespread accessibility has had a significant impact on clubs like Mallorca.
When the 53,000 strong crowd erupted into synchronized chants as the players took the field, the overwhelming noise immediately put pressure on the Mallorca players. Although they had played in massive stadiums like Camp Nou or the Bernabéu before, Schalke's supporters, with their raw passion and volume, were something else entirely.
"These Germans really have big lungs," José remarked with a laugh, turning to Drogba on the bench.
Drogba, however, looked troubled. Since his brief appearance in the Spanish Super Cup, he hadn't gotten any playing time in four league matches and two Champions League games—while Klasnic had enjoyed several minutes on the pitch.
"What's wrong, Didier? You should be enjoying an atmosphere like this. Situations like these don't come around every day," José said, patting Drogba's shoulder. With Natal still in Argentina, José had little time for anything else.
"Boss, I haven't played in ages," Drogba replied, his face etched with frustration.