Do FC Schalke Finally Have What It Takes?

Nineteen fifty-eight.

This was the year the Koenigsblau (Royal Blues) of Gelsenkirchen in Western Germany last won a national title. Fifty years later, and the side are as strong as they've ever been. You'd think that this will finally be Schalke's year, a new dynamic coach, several world-class stars, and the right mix of fans, arena, and squad. But the team have been here before, last year they lost out in the final weeks of the season, in 2005 they were a single half away from the title.

The club also has a good track record in Europe, reaching the quarterfinals for the first time last season. Not only that they were the winners of the UEFA cup in 1997. They also have German cup wins in 2001 and 2002, with a League Cup in 2005. So the pedigree is there, time and time again.

This year will be the one of the defining campaigns for the club. The key to success will be to continue the tradition of achieving European football. If the team can't get there, then the marquee players the club need to keep competing with Bayern Munich will dry up. Indeed, with a team as strong as Bayern is going into this year, it will take something special.

German football suffers from only having one major brand name in the league. While England has the Manchester Uniteds and Liverpools, and Spain has the Real Madrids and Barcelonas, there is only Bayern in Germany. Certainly, in the United States, most football fans can hardly name any other teams in the Bundesliga. In truth, my own love affair with the club happened merely by chance.

The deals the club have made so far have been a step in this direction. The transfers of Orlando Engelaar and Jefferson Farfan add both quality and marketability to the club. With German national team stars like Kevin Kuranyi and Gerald Asamoah, as well as budding national team members Jermaine Jones and Heiko Westermann there is a strong playing foundation at the club.

The club already is a deadly free-kick specialty team, as well as very sound defensively. While Kuranyi is a great striker given the opportunity (he scored four against Energie Cottbus this last season) there are times where he can be stranded up top. Farfan will help to add some creative attacking energy to partner the German international. With good wingers in the shape of Peter Lovenkrands and Albert Streit, there is no doubt that Schalke will be a much improved attacking team this season.

Granted, all this is speculation without any competitive games being played, especially now that first-choice keeper Manuel Neuer is out with a long-term injury. However, everything that Schalke has demonstrated going into this season leads me to believe that the team are capable of great things.

Competing with Bayern, as well as Werder Bremen and HSV among others, is never going to be an easy task, but I believe the Koenigsblauen are up to the task.