Unfortunately, it always seemed a matter of if, not when, with Schalke.
Despite their best efforts, die Königsblauen have had nothing short of a nightmare campaign this season. Schalke managed to escape the drop last term as they finished in 12th spot, but this time around, they haven't been so fortunate. The 2020/2021 season has seen Schalke go through a whopping five managers and ship 76 goals which is more than any other team have done since 2000 - and we're not even done with the current campaign.
Die Königsblauen have won just twice all season. One of those wins was a recent 1-0 victory over Augusburg that gave their fans a faint glimmer of hope, but that was short-lived, as on Tuesday, April 20th, they were officially relegated to the 2.Bundesliga after suffering a 1-0 loss to Arminia Bielefield.
Back in January, they avoided matching an unwanted record: equaling the worst run in Bundesliga history without winning a game. Before their match with Hoffenheim, Schalke were on a 30 game winless run, and had they failed to beat Hoffenheim, that would have made it 31.
But fortunately, young American striker Matthew Hoppe came to the rescue, netting a hat-trick to give die Königsblauen their first win of the season. Hoppe also wrote his name in the history books as he became the first American international to store a hat-trick in Germany's top flight, and there were initially hopes that maybe, just maybe, Schalke could be the latest of several struggling teams to pull off a great escape in European football.
Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. With just 13 points, two wins, 18 goals scored, and 76 conceded, Schalke will be playing in the 2.Bundesliga for the first time since 1988 next term. Die Königsblauen, who have won the Bundesliga seven times in their history, have only been relegated three times before, and this will be the first time in the 21st century.
