PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds are pleased to announce a promotional partnership with FC Schalke 04, welcoming the renowned Bundesliga club to the Steel City on May 19-20. The partnership will extend throughout 2017, with the clubs expected to partner up on various community-related events.

FC Schalke 04 is one of the most popular teams in Europe, with a passionate fan base that spans the world. Based in the Ruhr area, about 25 miles from Dusseldorf, the club’s nickname “Die Knappen” stems from the old German word for “miners” because in the early days many players were from the coalmines of Gelsenkirchen.

Now the club has more than 145,000 members, making it the fourth largest sports club in the world in terms of membership. FC Schalke 04 also regularly plays in top international soccer competition including the UEFA Champions League, and this season reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Europa League.