Christopher Antwi-Adjei, Henning Matriciani and Paul Pöpperl officially bid farewell

20 minutes ahead of kick-off at the VELTINS-Arena this weekend, the players and staff at Schalke enjoyed a very special moment as part of the pre-match programme. Three players officially said goodbye to the Schalke family as the screens above the pitch showed a highlight reel of their highlights in the S04 jersey. One scene featuring Henning Matriciani sparked a roar of applause in the Nordkurve when his spectacular sliding tackle from the 2023 Revierderby appeared on the screen.

The farwell ceremony ended with board members Matthias Tillmann, Frank Baumann and Christina Rühl-Hamers handing the players individually designed collages, framing the most emotional moments from their time in Gelsenkirchen.

The fans also expressed their gratitude to the trio for their commitment over the past few years. The sold-out VELTINS-Arena gave the departing Knappen a fitting farewell amid sustained applause. Once again, the atmosphere provided a truly spine-tingling moment: when Henning Matriciani’s name echoed through the stadium loudspeakers for perhaps the final time, supporters joined in and paid tribute to the Schalke man, hailing him as a ‘Fußballgott’ (Footballing God). Christopher Antwi-Adjei, who was later brought on during the match, and Pöpperl were also given a heartfelt send-off.

A decisive goal in Bielefeld

Christopher Antwi-Adjei ultimately spent two seasons as a Royal Blue. He joined FC Schalke 04 in the summer of 2024 after several years at fellow Ruhr-based club VfL Bochum and went on to make 35 competitive appearances for the Knappen. The right-footed attacker scored twice and also provided three assists for his teammates.

In the current season, Antwi-Adjei featured 14 times in the 2. Bundesliga, although he was sidelined for most of the second half of the campaign due to Achilles tendon issues.

His opening goal in the 2-1 away win on matchday 8 in Bielefeld, an important result at the time, along with his assist for Nikola Katić’s strike to make it 2-0 against Hertha BSC on the opening day (final score 2-1), saw him contribute directly to two key moments in Schalke’s promotion campaign.

Unforgettable derby heroics

Henning Matriciani ran out for the Royal Blues for five seasons between 2020 and 2026. Initially signed from SV Lippstadt 08 for Schalke’s U23 side in the Regionalliga West, he made his Bundesliga debut in May 2021. This was followed by a professional contract and 22 further appearances in the top flight, as well as three DFB-Pokal matches and 38 appearances in the 2. Bundesliga for the first team. In addition, he made 39 appearances for the U23s, rounding off a Schalke career that also includes two 2. Bundesliga championships, having won the trophy in 2021/22 and this current season. The defender is currently sidelined after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the winter of this year.

Across his 103 appearances for Schalke’s various teams, Matriciani did not register a goal or assist, but he was often celebrated for his crucial defensive interventions. One such moment lives long in the memory: his sensational sliding tackle in the 2022/23 Revierderby at home, which in the dying seconds preserved a 2-2 draw.

In the 2024/25 season, Matriciani spent the year on loan at Waldhof Mannheim, making 33 appearances in the 3. Liga. He also represented Germany at the UEFA U21 European Championship in Romania and Georgia in the summer of 2023 as a Schalke player.

From bottom of the Hessenliga to Bundesliga promotion

Paul Pöpperl joined Schalke’s U23 side in the summer of 2023 following his transfer from TSV Steinbach II. It quickly became clear that there was far more to the midfielder than his time in the lower reaches of the Hessenliga suggested, as he demonstrated across 49 appearances in the Regionalliga West, in which he registered six goals and nine assists.

In the 2024/25 season, the right-footer was loaned out to Dutch partner club VVV-Venlo and subsequently to German third-tier side FC Viktoria Köln. After returning to Schalke, Pöpperl took on an important leadership role in the U23 side this season and played his way into contention for first-team involvement. For the 2-0 win in Düsseldorf, the 23-year-old started in place of the injured Ron Schallenberg. He also made two substitute appearances in victories over Paderborn and Nürnberg. In February of this year, the defensive midfielder suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear and has since been working intensively on his recovery.

FC Schalke 04 would like to thank Christopher Antwi-Adjei, Henning Matriciani and Paul Pöpperl for their commitment to S04 and wishes them all the very best for the future.