VfB Bottrop achieved two goals against Rot-Weiss Essen despite the 0:8 defeat. Even the captain was able to draw a positive conclusion at the end.

“Maybe we can already show against RWE that we have put together a decent team. And hopefully in front of a good crowd. 1500 spectators were at the Jahnstadion in 2019. Now we want to top that number,” Gündüz Tubay, doer and first chairman of VfB Bottrop, had said before the test match highlight against third-division team Rot-Weiss Essen.

Besides aiming to top the 1500 spectators from 2019, VfB also managed not to lose by double digits. That was what captain Kudret Kanoglu and his teammates had set out to do. In the end, the score was 0:8 in front of 1811 spectators – an all-round success for the district league team.

“I am very proud of the team. We really gave it our all. We played with passion. But from the 60th minute onwards, we just didn’t have the energy. RWE is a good team. They are all real professionals. We simply don’t stand a chance on the road,” said Kanoglu.

The 30-year-old, who himself was a professional in Turkey, was particularly pleased to be able to play against the third-division team from Hafenstraße. Only a few days ago, on 30 June, Kanoglu and his wife became happy parents to their little Doga. “Yes, I had to improvise a bit. My wife only gave me permission the night before the match because I was able to organise substitutes for her to support me at home (laughs). Thanks again to my dear wife,” revealed the strong ten-man from Bottrop.

It was he who provided the highlight of the game in the 30th minute. With a great diagonal ball over 30 metres, Kanoglu was able to outmanoeuvre the entire Essen defence and sent Ahmed Jamil on his way. Jamil, also a former professional in Tunisia, sprinted off and ran towards Essen keeper Ole Springer – but he missed

“Otherwise we would have led 1:0. Maybe we would have even won a half against Rot-Weiss Essen. That would have been madness. But no matter! After the bitter relegation from the Landesliga, this game was definitely a real sign that VfB Bottrop is back on the right track. We want to play a good Bezirksliga season,” emphasised the newly minted Papa Kanoglu.