25 years of the VELTINS-Arena

25 years of emotion, great matches and unforgettable moments: in August 2001, the VELTINS-Arena opened its doors for the first time. A quarter of a century later, Schalke celebrated this special place – and welcomed Real Madrid for the anniversary match on 16 August 2026, which ended 0–3 from Schalke's perspective.

What many fans didn't see on that day: the story of the arena began long before the first whistle – with its planning, its construction and technical decisions that continue to have an impact to this day. One of these leads directly to ZINQ: the arena's steel structures were permanently protected against corrosion by hot-dip galvanising. Thus, a piece of ZINQ is also part of a structure that has been inspiring thousands of people for 25 years.

During the approximately three-year construction of the arena, a large part of the steel structure was hot-dip galvanised, and individual components were additionally powder-coated. Thousands of tonnes of steel were given their durable surface by ZINQ, including components of the seating structures for the approximately 50,000 spectator seats. The galvanised surface has reliably protected the steel against corrosion for 25 years and keeps maintenance requirements low over the entire service life.

The then Schalke manager Rudi Assauer made that possible: when building the new stadium, he decided in favour of ZINQ. This resulted in a partnership that continues to this day.

50,000 galvanised chairs for the arena

Around 50,000 steel chair frames for the arena went into the galvanising bath at the Essen-Vogelheim galvanising plant. The special alloy duroZINQ was used, providing a uniform surface and a high degree of dimensional accuracy. In Essen, the freshly galvanised frames were assembled on site, with plastic seat and back parts screwed onto the metal frames of the 48 different types of chair. This resulted in up to 800 finished chairs per day and up to 4,000 per week. In the end, Schalke counted around 50,000 chairs with a total weight of approximately 320 tonnes. Assembly began in January 2001, and from 1 February the first deliveries rolled to the construction site. A corrosion-protection surface treatment was also used for other components around the arena, such as elements of the fencing and gates, and the external stairs.

At home in Gelsenkirchen

FC Schalke 04 and ZINQ share much more than just the stadium. ZINQ has its headquarters in Gelsenkirchen, just a few kilometres away from the multi-purpose stadium. And the proximity is not merely geographical: ZINQ has been connected to Schalke for many years and remains a partner of the club to this day. This connection is also visible all around the stadium. For instance, a multi-storey car park also features ZINQ surfaces. Since the end of July 2025, a new landmark has also stood directly in front of the VELVETINS Arena: the Schalke headframe, around six metres high, in a vibrant blue. It honours the club's roots, the mining history of the Ruhr region and the members of the Auf Schalke eG cooperative, whose names are inscribed on the base. Several companies, including ZINQ, made the project possible and provided their services to the mining cooperative free of charge. The steel structure was first hot-dip galvanised at the family-run company ZINQ and then powder-coated. Thanks to this duplex system, the headframe was given long-lasting corrosion protection and its characteristic blue surface.

Reliable protection – for life

„Our roots are in Gelsenkirchen and the Ruhr region. That is why our connection to Schalke is a special one,“ says Lars Baumgürtel, Managing Partner of the ZINQ Group. „What began with work on the stadium has evolved over the years. This has resulted in a partnership designed to last – just like our surfaces. For 25 years, they have reliably protected the stadium's steel against corrosion – and will continue to do so for many years to come. Or, as they would say at Schalke: for a lifetime.“