"Next to the Südtribüne": Former Schalke star admits to BVB visit | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund has an enormous appeal even among arch-enemies. Former Schalke player Jermaine Jones now admits to a secret stadium visit—right next to the South Stand.

That rivalry in the Ruhr area isn’t everything was just demonstrated by one of FC Schalke 04’s once most uncompromising fighters. Jermaine Jones revealed on the podcast Viertelstunde Fußball with Kevin Großkreutz and Cornelius Küpper that in 2025 he secretly attended a Borussia Dortmund match at Signal Iduna Park—of all places, right next to the South Stand.

The former Schalke pro recounted his unusual stadium visit. “I was at Dortmund too, I have to admit,” Jones confessed, adding with a grin: “Next to the South Stand.” Disguised with a cap and hoodie, the former derby specialist sat right among BVB fans.

The reason for the trip to the arch-rival was family-related. Jones had asked his children which stadium they would like to see—the answer was clear. His sons wanted to experience Dortmund, especially the famous South Stand. “Why did I even ask?” he initially thought, the 44-year-old recounted. In the end, he still said yes.

Curious: Ex-Schalke player Jones buys BVB jersey

The atmosphere impressed even the long-time Schalke fighter. He found the unfiltered comments from the fans in the stands particularly amusing. “Damn, man, just score the goal already!” Jones quoted typical shouts from the seats next to him. After the match, there was a curious scene: his sons wanted fan merchandise—one even chose a goalkeeper jersey of BVB legend Roman Weidenfeller. “That’s just what being a father is: your sons want it, so they get it,” Jones explained pragmatically.

The podcast also touched on the past. Jones and Kevin Großkreutz share one of the most legendary moments in derby history. On April 14, 2012, Jones spectacularly tackled his then-rival on the sideline—a foul that is still celebrated at Schalke today. Years later, Jones openly explained the motivation behind the action: “You were just getting on my nerves,” he said directly to BVB icon Großkreutz. He continued: “Okay, now you go over there, take him out, and accept the yellow card.”

Jones firmly believes in the future of the Royal Blues. Should Schalke actually return to the Bundesliga, the great Ruhr derby would be back as well. Matches he still misses to this day. “Those were awesome games, I loved them,” Jones said.

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