The Revierderby Returns: Why Dortmund And Schalke Are Playing For More Than Just Points

After a season's absence the Revierderby returns on Saturday. The mother of all derbies is more than just about three points but rather about trying to capture the soul of two football clubs.

It is the mother of all derbies. On Saturday, Borussia Dortmund will host archrivals Schalke at the Westfalenstadion or, if you prefer, the commercialized version: SIGNAL IDUNA Park. Either way, it is the most historic derby in German football and one that returns to the Bundesliga after a season’s absence.

The last three Revierderby’s were a ghostly affair amidst the darkest period of the Bundesliga restart during the COVID-19 pandemic. Without fans, Schalke lost those games 4-0, 3-0, and 4-0. It was also during a time in which the Bundesliga worked feverishly to restart the league to rescue clubs like the Royal Blues. They had gotten themselves into deep financial trouble ahead of the pandemic and were then in danger of insolvency without fand walking through the turnstiles.

Financially, Schalke are still in dire straits after the COVID-19 pandemic and one season in the second division in which the club also lost its main sponsor Gazprom due to the German government’s sanctions against Russia following that country’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. As a result, Germany’s second or third biggest club—depending on who you ask—by membership has been gutted on and off the field.