Schalker International: Thomas Fabre

How did you become a Schalke fan?
I started supporting Schalke when I was playing FIFA aged 12. I wanted to play with a strong German team and blue is also my favourite colour, so it was an easy choice. I then started to get interested in the club’s history and from then on I watched matches and slowly fell in love with S04!

What’s supporting Schalke like in France? Are we popular there?
It’s actually very special because there only a few fans in France. A lot of people know the club because of the famous academy too though. We’ve also had some famous players like Raul, Farfan, Neuer, Höwedes etc. There are also some people in France from the Maghreb who are interested in players like Harit and Bentaleb, so they keep an eye on results too. Another connection is with PSG – several ex-Schalker (Draxler, Kehrer and Choupo-Moting) have played for them.

Have you ever been to Germany or the VELTINS-Arena?
I went to Germany in September 2018 for the first time to watch my first Schalke match – I had to drive for 24 hours in a single weekend! We beat Mainz 1-0 that day, which was our first win of the season, so that was a great gift for me!

I actually came with a PSG supporter, who was massively impressed by the atmosphere at the arena – it was the Schalke spirit!

Who is your all-time favourite Schalke player?
Over the years, I’ve liked Kuranyi, Asamoah, Neuer, Raul, Draxler, Fährmann and Stambouli, but if I had to choose one it would be Benedikt Höwedes.

You’ve got a great collection of S04 merchandise. What’s your favourite shirt that you own?
It would have to be the one from 2010-12 – I like to wear that one the most!

What’s your most memorable Schalke game?
That would be the game against Lyon in the Champions League in 2010/11. My French team is actually Lyon and my whole family supports them! It was the first time I was able to watch a Schalke game live on French TV too. I was the only Schalke fan at home and we won 3-0! My Dad wasn’t very happy with me…

Finally, why would you recommend supporting Schalke?
If you love passion for football, a real traditional club that trusts its young players with incredible and loyal supporters plus the colour blue, then Schalke is made for you!