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Kenan Karaman: Proud to reach this special milestone
The match on Friday (5/12) was a particularly meaningful one for Kenan Karaman. And not only because the FC Schalke 04 captain was back at his former club Fortuna Düsseldorf, where he made 72 competitive appearances between 2018 and 2021. For the 31-year-old, the evening in the North Rhine-Westphalia capital also brought up a notable milestone – it was his 100th competitive outing in a Schalke shirt.
It is a moment the forward will no doubt look back on fondly for years to come. The Royal Blues – backed by more than 20,000 travelling supporters – celebrated their 11th win in 15 games this season, with Karaman himself scoring the crucial goal in the 1-0 victory. “It was a very special day for me,” Karaman noted. “It almost felt like a home game. I’m very happy we were able to give our fans this win, and at the same time proud to have reached the landmark of 100 games for this special club.”
The goal in his milestone match was his 35th competitive strike for Schalke, alongside 17 assists. But his penalty in first-half stoppage time was anything but straightforward. Fortuna goalkeeper Florian Kastenmeier guessed correctly, but still could not keep the ball out. “I used to play with Flo,” Karaman explained. “He knows me pretty well, so I didn’t expect him to dive that way.” In the end, the spot-kick was placed so well that the keeper had no chance.
It was a very special day for me.
Because of muscle problems that had been troubling him in recent days, Schalke’s number 19 did not return for the second half. The fact he was able to play at all was thanks in large part to the medical staff. “They did everything to make sure I could be on the pitch for this special match,” he commented. Towards the end of the first half, however, the muscle issue flared up again. “I didn’t want to take any risks because I want to be available for the next two matches before the winter break,” Karaman added. His substitution was therefore a precaution.
From the sidelines, the captain watched his team not only protect their lead in the second half, but extend it through Vitalie Becker. “The win was deserved in the end, even if it wasn’t an easy match,” Karaman stated. “We’re delighted with the three points and with the fact we’re still top of the table. First place is only a snapshot, though. We can’t ease off – we have to approach every game with the same energy as we have so far,” stressed the Schalke skipper, who was surprised after the final whistle with a small cake decorated with a “100”. Another moment that underlined the strength of the team spirit.
