Now it’s official: BVB learn derby dates against Schalke | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund can look forward to the return of the Revierderby. The dates for BVB’s two Bundesliga clashes with FC Schalke 04 have now been officially confirmed.

The wait is over: the dates for the Revierderbys between Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 in the 2026/27 Bundesliga season have been set. After a break of more than three years, one of the most traditional and emotional fixtures in German football is finally returning.

The first derby will take place on Matchday 12, on the weekend of December 4 to 6, 2026, at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen. The return fixture will be played on Matchday 29, between April 9 and 11, 2027, at Signal Iduna Park. For many fans in the Ruhr region, these two matches are already among the absolute highlights of the upcoming Bundesliga season.

The German Football League (DFL) announced the derby dates even before publishing the full schedule — and chose an unusual way to do it. As part of the new “Bundesliga City Challenge,” envelopes containing the dates were hidden in secret locations in Dortmund and Gelsenkirchen. Fans had to find the clues and were then able to announce themselves when the two historic clubs would meet. One of the first clues, among others, led to Borsigplatz in Dortmund.

BVB vs. Schalke: When the two Revierderbys will take place

The full Bundesliga schedule will not be released until July 2, but the DFL is using the City Challenge to reveal selected marquee matches of the season in advance. Other highlight fixtures, as well as the Bundesliga opener, are also set to be unveiled gradually in this way.

Photo: IMAGO

The return of the Revierderby brings a long dry spell to an end. The last Bundesliga meeting between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 took place on March 11, 2023, and ended in a 2–2 draw in Gelsenkirchen. After Schalke’s relegation, fans had to wait several years for the fixture to return. Only with Schalke’s promotion as 2. Bundesliga champions is the derby now coming back to the Bundesliga.

Overall, the two meetings in the 2026/27 season will be Bundesliga clashes number 103 and 104 between the arch-rivals. Even though Borussia Dortmund, under coach Niko Kovac, go into the matches as favorites after a strong previous season, Revierderbys are famously known for having their own rules.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.