The U17 team of Rot-Weiss Essen is having a good Bundesliga season. One man stands out: Mats Preßler, who scored a whopping 18 goals in 18 games.
The U17 team of Rot-Weiss Essen is having an excellent season in the Junior Bundesliga West. After 16 matches, RWE has 22 points and a goal difference of 39:38: figures that satisfy Christian Flüthmann.
“Our U17 team is really fun. The season is going very well, even if the last few games weren’t so positive. But nobody can expect that. We currently have a good lead over the relegation places. The team around coach Michael Delura is doing a very good job,” praises the RWE sports director.
Of course, the 41-year-old also knows that the Essen U17 team has a real weapon in its ranks. His name: Mats Preßler. His position: forward. His goal tally: 18 goals in 18 games! In other words, the 16-year-old, who will only turn 17 on April 3, 2024, has scored almost half of RWE’s goals single-handedly. And yes, Preßler was involved in more than half of the 39 Essen goals. “He also set up a few goals,” says Flüthmann.
The Red & Whites have a real gem in their ranks. And of course, gems are highly coveted. “It’s no secret that Mats has attracted the attention of competitors. But we are quite relaxed about it because the boy comes from a very good family and has been infected with the RWE virus in no time,” says Flüthmann. He reveals: ‘At our home games, Mats already sings the songs with us and supports us in the RWE fan outfit. He feels very comfortable at Rot-Weiss.’
And that’s an argument, of course. Especially because Preßler no longer felt comfortable at VfL Bochum in the past. RWE struck and brought him to Hafenstraße in the summer of 2023.
Mats Preßler’s twin brother Mika continues to play for VfL Bochum’s U17 team. “He was in Bochum and couldn’t really make a breakthrough. When we scouted him, we realized that he would be very interesting for us. The talks went extremely well. The boy is very level-headed for his age,” says Flüthmann, full of praise.
Pressler’s play is characterized by a high level of intensity and commitment. And, of course, his finishing skills are currently unrivaled in the U17 national leagues in Germany. Flüthmann adds: “But he also inspires the team, he is eager to learn, and he talks a lot. Mats prioritizes success above everything else. And, as I said, he is not putting on an act. He is interested in RWE, sings the songs, wears a scarf. There is a lot of identification there – and all in a very short time.”
And what is the future for the 18-goal man and Rot-Weiss Essen? According to forecasting information, there was a meeting between Preßler’s parents, the striker and the RWE management before Christmas, on December 20, 2023.
According to our information, the third division club wants to tie the highly talented striker, who lives with his family in Coesfeld, to Hafenstraße with a long-term professional contract.
Flüthmann replies: “Of course other clubs are interested in him. We know that. But we will offer him good prospects here and create a path for the next few years. Then it is up to him and his parents whether they want to take this path with Rot-Weiss Essen.”
RWE head coach Christoph Dabrowski also has the ice-cold center forward, who is incredibly strong in the box, on his radar: “I already know that there’s a really good kid running around out there. But I also know that he’s only 16 years old. Let’s let the boy develop in peace and then we’ll see.”