Chief executive Matthias Tillmann has rejected allegations of miscalculation over FC Schalke 04’s new retro away shirt.Schalke launched their new white away shirt with retro Adidas and S04 logos on Thursday. Demand was so strong it sold out in just two and a half hours. Schalke had never sold so many shirts in a single day.Critics then accused the Bundesliga returnees of underestimating the euphoria and ordering only 40,000 units in collaboration with kit supplier Adidas and distribution partner 11teamsports. “What happened last week was totally crazy in a positive sense. We have adidas as a supplier with a great deal of experience, and we plan things like this together with them,” Tillmann told Sky. He said one point of reference had been a similar Adidas campaign at Hamburger SV last season.FC Schalke 04: Away shirt can be pre-orderedTillmann said the rush had been “crazy” and had also caught Adidas by surprise. “They work with many different clubs and have basically seen everything already. But the comment from one Adidas employee to me on Thursday was: ‘You are the boss of the craziest club in Europe,’” Tillmann said.Schalke made the final decision on the quantity, and the order volume had “not been limited”. However, the club had to submit it as early as the end of 2025, when a return to the Bundesliga had not yet been confirmed.Club FriendliesSchalke 04S0416 Aug 202623:00Real MadridRMAFor comparison, Schalke sold between 70,000 and 80,000 shirts in total last season, including home, away and special shirts. This season, the target is to break the 100,000 mark. Fans who missed out can pre-order until this Thursday at 11.04pm. The reproduced away shirts will then be delivered in around four months.
