SV Meppen has found a successor for Ernst Middendorp. A coach known in the West takes over the third-division relegated club.

A few days after the resignation of Ernst Middendorp, third-league relegated SV Meppen has found a new coach. Adrian Alipour takes over the Emsland club, which recently suffered two defeats in the Regionalliga Nord after an opening win.

Alipour is expected to improve the team’s poor start. The 44-year-old is no stranger to the Ruhr region and its environs. He began his coaching career with Dortmund amateur club Kirchhörder SC and then joined Wuppertaler SV as co-coach.

In September 2016, he took over as coach of the top division club ASC Dortmund and led the club from a relegation spot to the top group of the Oberliga Westfalen. This was followed by his return to WSV in September 2018 – this time as head coach. At the end of March 2019, he terminated his contract with the Bergische and joined TSV Steinbach. Most recently, Alipour was on the sidelines at Rot-Weiß Koblenz.

And now it’s on to Meppen for the Dortmund-born player. After Meppen’s relegation from the 3rd Division, Alipour was already considered a candidate for the coaching position – RS reported. But the club ultimately decided to continue working with Middendorp, who announced his resignation last week.

“In our eyes, Adrian is the perfect solution for our young team in this situation. He has been high on our list of coaches for quite some time,” said Heiner Beckmann, sporting director, about Alipour’s signing. “We have been in contact for quite some time. He has convinced us professionally and recently also in several talks.”

Meanwhile, Alipour says he is “very happy and proud to be able to work for such a big club”, as he explains in a club statement. “We are now in the debt of performance and have to bring performance on the pitch. I can guarantee that I will give everything to be successful with the young SVM team. “