Rot-Weiss Essen host FC Ingolstadt on Saturday with coach Guerino Capretti. The FCI coach has never lost against RWE.
After the long-awaited promotion to the 3rd division, a lot of things were new territory for Rot-Weiss Essen. A premiere also awaits this coming Saturday: The Bergeborbecker will play a league match at FC Ingolstadt for the first time in the club’s history (2 p.m., RS-Liveticker). So far, the two clubs have only faced each other once: in the first leg, which ended 2-2.
The Ingolstadt coach, however, is an old acquaintance. Guerino Capretti has been on the FCI sidelines since the beginning of the month. The 41-year-old once made the leap into professional football with SC Verl. In 2020, he led the East Westphalians into the 3rd Division – after they had prevailed against RWE in the Regionalliga promotion battle.
“They were always highlights against Essen with the stadium and the fans. Even when we played against them in Verl, the atmosphere was very special. I looked forward to that every time,” the German-Italian recalled in the media round before the now upcoming match. No wonder: When Capretti’s Verler played against Rot-Weiss, it always ended well for the Sportclub. In a total of five duels, there were two wins and three draws.
Capretti will look back fondly on his last meeting with RWE so far. On matchday 11 of the 2019/20 season, Verl visited Hafenstraße for the top match – and prevailed 4:1. It was the preliminary decision for the championship in the season that was later cancelled due to Corona. Capretti: “A lot of things went right for us on that day. Both teams played with open sights, it was pretty nippy and could have ended differently.”
In the promotion relegation, Verl prevailed against Lok Leipzig. And in the 3rd Division, Capretti led the SCV to stay in the league, before the club and its long-time successful coach went their separate ways a little over a year ago. After an interlude at Dynamo Dresden at the end of last season, he took over from Rüdiger Rehm at Ingolstadt at the beginning of February.
He was initially unable to stop the Schanzer’s crisis, losing their first two games. And because they had already suffered three defeats before, the ambitious club is currently only in ninth place – five points behind the relegation places. Nevertheless, Capretti celebrated his debut victory last weekend. A spectacular one at that: His team won 4:3 in a wild game at 1. FC Saarbrücken in the end.
“The victory gave us a positive feeling, helps us build courage and self-confidence,” says Capretti. RWE also stopped a negative run last matchday, winning 2-0 against Borussia Dortmund II.
We need a team on the pitch again that implements the plan together, brings intensity, wants to win duels and stands up to opposition.
Guerino Capretti
Now Capretti expects a “compact team that will come with a clear plan and will always try to set pinpricks”. Capretti still knows Essen striker Ron Berlinski from his days in Verl. And he knows: “He’s a very unpleasant striker, especially when he’s plodding against the ball.”
But it’s also players like Simon Engelmann, who could return to the starting eleven, Isaiah Young, Laurence Ennali or Felix Bastians who make Capretti state: “The team has a lot of quality.”
What will FCI do to counter that in order to claim their first home win of the year? “We need a team on the pitch again that implements the plan together, brings intensity, wants to win duels and stands up to opposition. “