Wednesday 7 January 2015 11:36, UK
Schalke are set to make unprecedented investments in their squad in a bid to win an elusive first Bundesliga title in the near future.
The Royal Blues have gone close to winning the title on more than one occasion in recent years, yet their fans' wait for the prized piece of silverware continues.
They are currently 18 points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich and unlikely to end their wait this season, but club president Clemens Tonnies has put his finger on what needs to be done to make his club competitive.
More money needs to be invested to be able to challenge Bayern for trophies in years to come.
"Money scores goals," he told Sport Bild magazine. "If you want to challenge for a top three or four finish in the Bundesliga, then you've got to have a big budget.
"We - the ones in charge - have got to ensure we can do that."
In order to help raise the Royal Blues' budget from its current 78 million euros (£61million) to 100 million euros (£78million), Tonnies has called on followers of his club to put their money where their mouth is.
"I would like to see our membership levels rise from 130,000 to 200,000," he said.
"We've got around 10 million fans and people who like us and with them, we have a big chance of continuing to grow as a club."
