Football rivals will face-off in 2018 to mark end of hard coal mining

To mark the end of hard coal mining in Germany, players from rival football clubs Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 and other clubs in the western German Ruhr coal mining area will team up for a friendly match against the Polish national team in 2018, writes hard coal mining foundation RAG-Stiftung in a press release. The match is one of more than 100 projects organised by the foundation to commemorate hard coal mining history and mark its end. Polish miners have played a significant role in hard coal mining in Germany in the 20th century. A number of successful football players at Ruhr Valley clubs have been of Polish descent. Germany’s two last deep coal mining pits in Bottrop and Ibbenbüren will shut down in 2018.

Find the article in German here and the RAG Foundation press release in German here.

For background, read the factsheets When will Germany finally ditch coal? and Coal in Germany.