Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., frequently recognized as FC Schalke 04 (German: [ɛf tseː ˈʃalkə nʊl fiːɐ̯], Schalke 04, or abbreviated as S04 (German: [ˈɛs nʊl fiːɐ̯], is a professional German football as well as multi-DFB selections club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The 04 in the club s name originates from its development in 1904. Schalke has long been among the most prominent professional football teams and multi-DFB selections club in Germany, although the club s prime time was in the 1930s and 1940s. Schalke play in the 2. Bundesliga, the 2nd rate of the German football league system, as a result of the 2020-- 21 relegation. As of June 2018, the club has 155,000 participants, making it the second-largest DFB selectioning activities club in Germany and also the fourth-largest DFB selectioning activities club in the globe in regards to membership. Other activities provided by the club include athletics, basketball, handba...