Timo Baumgartl's American rise after the deep fall at Schalke

While Timo Baumgartl experienced a deep fall in Gelsenkirchen, he found the long‑awaited American Dream in the USA in the summer of 2024 – a complete contrast that redefines his career.

Short, Turbulent Spell at Schalke

From summer 2023 to summer 2024, the 20‑time German U21 international wore the royal‑blue jersey of FC Schalke 04. Instead of stabilising the defence, his performances destabilised the whole team, so he was quickly labelled a “stink‑boot”. During that season Baumgartl faced serious accusations, was demoted to Schalke‑U23 and publicly criticised the coaches at the time.

Contract Termination and Move Abroad

In the summer of 2024 his contract was terminated early, leaving him club‑free for a long period. After about five months without a club, MLS side St. Louis City signed the defender, allowing the American Dream to become reality for him.

New Rise in the USA

At the start of his stint in St. Louis Baumgartl was mostly on the bench: in the first seven possible games he featured only five times from the bench and amassed just 13 minutes of play. On 14 April 2025 that changed, as he started in the lineup for the first time and kept his place – apart from three games he missed due to a knee injury and four bench appearances towards the end of the season.

After his return to the starting XI, Baumgartl spent the bulk of the 2025 season with the MLS club, restoring his importance. The previous uncertainty after 119 Bundesliga appearances for VfB Stuttgart and Union Berlin and 41 2. Bundesliga matches for Stuttgart and Schalke was largely overcome.

Jürgen Fromme, the photographer, documented the entire trajectory of Baumgartl's short but eye‑catching spell at Schalke up to his fresh start in the USA. His photographs underline the contrast between the fall in Gelsenkirchen and the rise in St. Louis.