Schalke 04 was running a debt of up to 230 million euros and they got a deal renewal from Gazprom (the Russian gas giants). The new deal should ease this amount as the club could net around 100 million euros from the deal. If Schalke is successful in the Bundesliga or in a major European competition, the club could net up to 130 million euros.

Gazprom is the leading extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest company in Russia. It had revenue of 98.6 billion dollars in 2008 and employs over 400,000 workers. Apart from sponsoring Schalke, Gazprom owns Zenit St Petersburg, the winners of the 2008 UEFA Cup and Super Cup.

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