Monday, April 19, 2021
“Abbedagge” changes to the US team
Schalke is waving millions in redemption for e-athletes
In contrast to the Bundesliga team, the esports department at Schalke 04 is much more successful. So successful that with Felix Braun one of the best LoL players leaves the Royal Blues for a high transfer fee. All sides benefit from the deal.
While the footballers of FC Schalke 04 stumble towards second class, the e-sports department of the Royal Blues now has to accept a small damper – which, however, is remunerated accordingly. The League of Legends player Felix Braun alias “Abbedagge” changes to the US team 100 Thieves with immediate effect. According to reports in the “Bild” newspaper, Schalke should receive a transfer fee of up to one million euros.
The 21-year-old Braun’s contract would have expired in the summer. At his new club, the German will also receive a record annual salary of 600,000 euros. Head of the Schalke e-sports department, Tim Reichert, described the change as a unique opportunity for Braun, which at the same time reflects the philosophy of the entire club. In the past, Schalke always stood for promoting young football players who would later be among the best players in the world and who would have brought in high transfer fees. This has now also happened in the e-sports area. As the successor to Braun, the association relies on an internal solution. The 18-year-old Frenchman Ilias Bizriken is supposed to take Braun’s place.
In contrast to the Bundesliga department, virtual sports are very successful at Schalke. Not the football simulation FIFA, but the team around the globally popular strategy game “League of Legends” (LoL) forms the core. The international quintet regularly wins national tournaments and takes part in the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) together with nine other teams. With hundreds of thousands of live viewers on YouTube and Twitch, the tournament represents the Champions League in LoL and binds major sponsors such as Coca-Cola and American Express.
As in the large, financially strong US professional leagues, participation takes place via franchising. The license to participate must be purchased. And that’s not cheap pleasure. Schalke paid for entry in 2018 eight million euros, the increased range of the LEC makes the license much more expensive today. “The license is certainly much more valuable than we originally invested. How much is, however, only speculation at the moment. The upcoming negotiations will show that,” Reichert told ntv.de in February. Accordingly, there could be a competition for the license. The French Newspaper “L’Equipe“estimates the value at 20 million euros. A decision on the possible sale should be made in June.
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