After six years, Rouwen Hennings left Fortuna Düsseldorf last summer. He moved to Baden-Württemberg, but he could have stayed in NRW.
When SV Sandhausen meet MSV Duisburg on Saturday, the clash will see the 9th-placed team in the table take on the 20th-placed team in the league. Before the season, both teams had actually set their sights on a top position.
After ten years in the second division, Sandhausen wanted and still wants to return to the German soccer lower division as quickly as possible. In the summer of 2023, the team from Baden-Württemberg also signed a number of high-caliber players to achieve this goal.
Such as Rouwen Hennings, most recently captain at Fortuna Düsseldorf. The 36-year-old played 229 games (84 goals, 28 assists) for Fortuna. At Sandhausen, the 77-time Bundesliga striker has made 17 competitive appearances and scored eight goals.
Forecasting spoke to Rouwen Hennings ahead of SVS’s match against MSV Duisburg.
Rouwen Hennings, how do you rate SV Sandhausen’s current season?
I would describe the current season as mixed. We would have deserved more points in some games.
Why do you think things are not going according to plan?
If we knew exactly why, we would have fixed it already. Sometimes we don’t defend well and sometimes we don’t convert good chances. We know what we need to work on.
There has already been a change of coach: you’ve also been in the business for a long time. When there is a change in this position, who has actually “failed” more: the coach or the team?
Failure is of course a harsh word. We are all not satisfied with what we have achieved so far. Coach Danny Galm has tried everything, but as a team we’ve simply lacked that last bit of luck.
What does Jens Keller do differently to his predecessor?
Both have their ideas about soccer. Coach Jens Keller is a bit more vocal about it and demands it more energetically than Danny Galm
Yes, I also had a chat with Essen. But there were several reasons why it didn’t work out. I’m not crying after RWE either and I’m happy to be at SV Sandhausen now.
Rouwen Hennings
Things are going well for you personally – eight goals in 13 games is something to be proud of, isn’t it?
Eight goals is okay. But I hope I can help the team a lot more in the future.
What kind of quota have you set yourself for this season?
I did that once in my career, that I set myself a quota, but that went down the drain (laughs). That’s why I don’t do it anymore.
Why did you actually choose SV Sandhausen?
I chose Sandhausen because the overall package was best for my situation. I’m not far from my family and everything suits me here.
According to our information, you were also at the table with Rot-Weiss Essen. Why did the move to Essen fall through? You could have stayed in NRW with your family…
Yes, I also talked to Essen. But there were several reasons why it didn’t work out. I’m not crying after RWE either and I’m happy to be at SV Sandhausen now.
The next opponent is an NRW club: How surprised are you by the sporting situation of MSV Duisburg?
I’m too far away to be able to analyze MSV’s sporting situation. Of course, I’ve known the club for a long time. We’ve also played each other in second division matches. I wish MSV all the best – but only after the game with us.
Why is MSV still a dangerous opponent for Sandhausen?
They are a dangerous opponent because they have a lot of strong players in their ranks. They haven’t found their feet yet. I hope that won’t be the case on Saturday either.
Do you think MSV will save themselves in the end?
Of course they still have a chance. But they are also in a very dangerous situation because the league is at a very good level.