Horst Heldt, the managing director of 1. FC Union Berlin, made a personal admission of affection for his former club FC Schalke 04 ahead of their Bundesliga clash. At the same time, the 56-year-old made clear that his absolute priority is the success of his current team, Union, in this important promoted sides' duel.
"If you have once worked for this club, it would be impertinent to play down that time." Heldt said. The experienced official was sporting director at Schalke from 2010 to 2016. During that period, Schalke won the DFB-Pokal in 2011 and reached the Champions League semi-finals. Heldt looked back on an "emotional journey" where he got to work with stars like Raul and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
Despite his emotional connection to his past, Heldt stated he now carries "more red than blue blood" within him. His focus is completely on Union Berlin. "If I could paint the world, we would achieve our goals and stay in the Bundesliga, maybe even accomplish a bit more." was his clear statement before the match. For Heldt, the league start with Union has been mixed so far. A 3:3 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt was followed by a 4:0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen. The pressure before the home game against their direct rival is therefore palpable. The current table and all further fixtures can be found on our standings page.
The duel on Friday evening (20:30) at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei is a highlight of the early season for several reasons. It is the meeting of two promoted teams who have declared staying up as their season's objective. Heldt warned, however, against underestimating Schalke. "Schalke is a different kind of promoted team," he said, referencing the visitors' positive feeling after a narrow loss to Bayern Munich. For Union, it's about avoiding a first home defeat of the season and collecting much-needed points. The team of coach Nenad Bjelica must quickly fix the defensive issues seen in Leverkusen. The complete roster with all player names and positions can be viewed in the squad section.
Union Berlin started the season with one point from two matches. The attack showed promising signs against Frankfurt, while the defence conceded four goals in Leverkusen. Schalke 04 returned to the Bundesliga after three years and also took one point from their first two games. The team of coach Mike Büskens lost 2:1 to Bayern and then drew 2:2 with Borussia Mönchengladbach. Both sides are seeking their first win of the campaign in this direct encounter. The personal history of Horst Heldt adds an extra layer to the sporting contest. All key statistics and data for the match are compiled on our stats page.
The match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Schalke 04 takes place on Friday, September 11th, 2026, at 20:30.
