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Timo Becker: The best day of my career
FC Schalke 04 were able to seal their promotion to the top flight with a 1-0 win at home against Fortuna Düsseldorf on Saturday (2/5). Timo Becker, who played a key part in the Royal Blues' success this season, later described it as "the best day of my career."
“Of course I was also able to celebrate promotion with Kiel, which was also amazing, but to do it with your club, one that’s near and dear to your heart, is something incredibly special. I’m still struggling to find the right words to describe it,” said the S04 vice-captain. When referee Patrick Ittrich blew the full-time whistle at exactly 22:26 local time, there was no holding back the celebrations of both the players and the fans.
Right in the thick of it was Becker, who was the subject of several beer showers from his teammates. “I’m the captain when it comes to celebrating. No one is leaving the stadium until 7 a.m,” he declared.
Part of the league's best defence
Upon returning to his boyhood club in summer 2025, Becker couldn’t have predicted that he would be able to celebrate such a success come the end of the season. “When I arrived here, I didn’t even know who was going to be the head coach. I just had a feeling that I would be able to help out the club,” he recalled. Despite suffering a torn MCL in the first half of the season, Becker was able to later regain his spot in the starting line-up and helped contribute to Schalke having the best defensive record of any side in the division (just 28 goals conceded).
Winning away in Elversberg with just 10 men showed that anything is possible with this team.
The 29-year-old recalls realising that Schalke had what it took to win promotion after their 2-1 win in Elversberg. Despite Moussa Ndiaye being unfairly sent off, the Royal Blues were able to keep hold of their lead even after going a man down, taking three points off a direct competitor in the race for promotion. “If you want to get promoted, then you have to manage to win games like that against your immediate rivals. Winning away in Elversberg with just 10 men showed that anything is possible with this team,” Becker said. “We then further laid the foundations for our success in Paderborn, paving the way for our celebrations today.”
The right spirit at all times
According to Becker, Schalke’s biggest strength is “our spirit,” referring to their relentless passion and desire to be successful together. It’s a mindset that is also set out by head coach Miron Muslic. “We know that we can rely on each other and that our spirit is always in the right place,” Becker said. “That’s what carried us through this season, and it’s the reason why we are where we are today. I’m proud that every Schalke fan was able to wildly celebrate today.”
