Miron Muslic: It's been an outstanding season

Miron Muslic:

We knew from day one what we wanted to build and what kind of mentality we wanted to bring back to Schalke. The last two seasons were incredibly tough for everyone. The bond between the fans and the team had been damaged, and we have repaired it. From the start, our message was that we had to move up two gears. There were plenty of obstacles along the way, but the lads here would run through brick walls for Schalke. 11 months later, having stuck to our plan all the way through, here we are. We always believed we could achieve something special if the lads pushed beyond their limits. They have done that brilliantly – it’s been an outstanding season so far.

We made some hugely important decisions in the summer and again in the winter. With the togetherness we have and the right mix of quality and character, everything came together in the end. Now I’m going to celebrate with my family and friends. I can’t keep up with the team. (laughs)

Alexander Ende:

If you want to come away from Schalke with anything, you have to take your chances. You don’t get many clear-cut opportunities here, although we still had two or three really big ones. If we had scored, maybe Schalke would have started to feel the pressure a bit more. Unfortunately, we didn’t make that moment count. We have shown the right signs in the last two games. Now we need to take a lot from today into next week in front of our own fans.

Adil Aouchiche:

This is the biggest moment of my career. These were incredibly emotional moments – with the fans, and my family was here too. It’s hard to put moments like this into words. You have to experience them yourself. For now, we just want to enjoy this success together. We will think about next season when the time comes. With a club this big, we want to be successful in the Bundesliga as well, but right now promotion is all that matters.

The atmosphere at the VELTINS-Arena is always exceptional, but today was something else. We’re over the moon – especially for the fans, who have supported the club for years and always stayed loyal. This promotion is for them. We gave everything for them and played with all our heart. The fans more than deserve this success, especially after the last few years, which have not always been easy.

Those in charge here have done an excellent job. We were very solid defensively in the first half of the season. Then, ahead of the second half of the campaign, the head coach and his team brought in exactly the right reinforcements, and that worked really well. We really enjoyed the second half of the season. I have worked with a lot of coaches, including some very good ones, but Miron is different. He shows incredible determination every single day and has a really close connection with the squad.

Loris Karius:

Today is a huge day – we’re all just so happy! We have worked hard all year and refused to let setbacks stop us. We managed that because we’re a team that sticks together. I look forward to driving into the training ground every single day, and that has been the case since my first day as a Schalke player. I have had a few highlights in my career, but this promotion tops them all.