Image Credits: Imago Images
Schalke 04 will play in the Bundesliga next season after securing promotion with two games to spare, confirming their return with a 1-0 win over Fortuna Düsseldorf.
The result ended their three-year stay in the second tier following relegation in 2022/23, a spell that included 10th and 14th-place finishes.
A major squad overhaul and the appointment of head coach Miron Muslić last summer have played a key role in their resurgence.
Schalke made an encouraging start to the campaign with three wins from their opening five matches, before a five-game winning streak took them to the top of the table by matchday 10 – a position they have largely held since.
The victory over Düsseldorf extended their unbeaten league run to 12 matches and confirmed them as champions after Paderborn’s defeat to Elversberg.
Schalke 04’s promotion push has been built on defensive solidity, with Loris Karius playing a key role. The former Liverpool goalkeeper featured in 29 of 32 league matches, conceding just 24 goals and keeping 12 clean sheets – the best record in the division.
Loris Karius’ current deal runs until 2027, and according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, an agreement has been reached between him and Schalke 04 over a new contract.
Romano posted on X: “Agreement done between Loris Karius and Schalke 04 over new contract. Salary increased for former Liverpool GK set to stay at the club.”
Loris Karius made almost 50 appearances for Liverpoolafter joining from Mainz 05 in the summer of 2016. He debuted for the Reds in September that year and shared goalkeeping duties with Simon Mignolet throughout the 2016–17 season.
Karius went on to make 33 starts the following campaign, featuring in every match from the group stage as Liverpool reached the 2018 Champions League final in Kyiv under Jürgen Klopp.
However, the final against Real Madrid ended in disappointment, with Karius making two costly errors in a 3-1 defeat – a match that proved to be his final appearance for Liverpool. He later had loan spells at Besiktas and Union Berlin before leaving the club permanently in 2022.