S04 partner with Deutsche Krebshilfe for special edition shirt

45 years later, the two will team up once again for a good cause. To mark the 50th anniversary of the cancer charity, FC Schalke 04 will be releasing an exclusive, limited-edition shirt together with adidas and 11teamsports. The team will wear the kit this Saturday (26/10, 13:00 CEST), as they host SpVgg Greuther Fürth at the VELTINS-Arena.

S04 partners give up their sponsorship rights

SUN MINIMEAL and Heatrex will graciously allow for their usual sponsorship spots on the front and sleeve of the shirt to be used instead to advocate for the fight against all forms of cancer. The front of the shirt will feature the same Deutsche Krebshilfe logo that was emblazoned across the club’s shirts back in 1978, while the sleeve will feature the logo of the Royal Blues’ own foundation, Schalke hilft!

The shirt’s four colours – pink, white, light blue and blue – represent the four most common cancers among newly diagnosed patients in Germany. Pink stands for breast cancer, light blue for prostate cancer, blue for bowel cancer and white for lung cancer. The kit is completed by blue shorts and pink socks, while four awareness ribbons in corresponding colours as a symbol of the fight against cancer are just below the collar on the back.

“We share a long history with Deutsche Krebshilfe – one that goes beyond the shirt sponsorship back then. Since then, we’ve worked together on projects like ‘Football Fans in Training.’ Additionally, Fritz Pleitgen, former president of Deutsche Krebshilfe, was a member of our Schalke hilft! foundation’s advisory board until his passing in 2022,” emphasised Matthias Tillmann, CEO of FC Schalke 04. “We are incredibly pleased at Schalke to mark the 50th anniversary of this charitable organisation with this project and the fantastic special edition shirt.”

Gerd Nettekoven, chairman of the Deutsche Krebshilfe board, said: “For our then still young organisation, it was of great value that FC Schalke 04 played with the ‘Deutsche Krebshilfe’ logo on their shirt during the 1978/1979 season. Even back then, this generated significant awareness for our important work. I still have very fond memories of this wonderful initiative. Since then, there has been a close bond between our two organisations. We are therefore very pleased that FC Schalke 04, as one of Germany’s most traditional and largest football clubs, is once again supporting Deutsche Krebshilfe on the occasion of our 50th anniversary, with the retro logo once again adorning the players’ chests. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Schalke 04 for this fantastic initiative and their long-standing commitment in the fight against cancer.”

A particularly important thing to note is that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the special edition shirts and the accompanying collection will be donated to Deutsche Krebshilfe. The match-worn shirts from the game against Fürth will later be auctioned for charity. Additionally, the entire week surrounding the matchday will be dedicated to this special anniversary, the collaboration and the theme of cancer prevention.

Shirts available now

The special edition shirt is accompanied by a unique collection consisting of a T-shirt, bucket hat, scarf and mugs, as well as a limited-edition art print – a digital artwork created specifically for this campaign by Gelsenkirchen-based artist Beni Veltum, which also features in parts on the other items in the special collection. Excerpts from the artwork can also be found in the numbers on the back of the shirt that were sold through the shop.

Schalke fans can not only purchase the special edition kit that the outfield players will wear, but also the pink goalkeeper top. Every shirt comes in a special jute bag. The special edition shirt costs €99.95 (adult sizes range from S to XXXL) and €69.95 for kids (sizes 128 to 176). Names and the 2. Bundesliga logo can be printed on the shirt as an additional extra. The shirts are available on shop.schalke04.de/en and in all S04 fan shops.