Clubless after promotion, Schalke’s three heroes face futures

The three Schalke promotion heroes – the Schalker Aufstiegshelden – are currently without a club. The club’s return to the Bundesliga this season has begun with five points from four games, a start that many consider respectable.

Schalke’s return to the Bundesliga

FC Schalke 04 secured a place in the top flight for the 2026/27 campaign and collected five points from the opening four fixtures, a start that has been described as quite passable. Start to the campaign saw the Königsblauen rebuild confidence after a surprisingly strong 2025/26 second‑tier season.

The Knappen, under head coach Miron Muslic, rediscovered their former strength and, as a cohesive unit, lifted the Meisterschale in the German second division. The photo by Rene Nijhuis captures the jubilant squad that earned promotion.

Henning Matriciani: a career halted

Defender Henning Matriciani, a product of Schalke’s academy, returned from a loan spell at Waldhof Mannheim in the 3. Liga after a solid 2024/25 season. Under Muslic he featured for only twelve minutes during the promotion campaign.

On 10 January the 26‑year‑old suffered a cruciate ligament rupture that ruled him out for the remainder of the season. His contract expired at the end of the campaign and he remains clubless, despite many fans hoping the club would offer a new deal because of his injury.

Christopher Antwi‑Adjei’s final professional games

Offensive winger Christopher Antwi‑Adjei contributed fourteen appearances and two assists, starting the season as a regular in the first‑team line‑up. From mid‑December he battled Achilles‑tendon problems that kept him sidelined for several months.

He rejoined the Schalke squad in early April and made his comeback in early May, featuring in the final two league matches against Nürnberg and Braunschweig. Those fixtures marked the last professional appearances of the 32‑year‑old, a three‑time Ghana international born in Hagen, who is now without a club.