Many scouts and representatives of the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga also use the English week in the 3rd division to watch interesting players. This was also the case at the Hafenstrasse stadium.

During Rot-Weiss Essen’s 3:1 win against FC Viktoria Köln, the main stand at the Hafenstraße stadium was packed with consultants, scouts and representatives from first and second division clubs.

If you were to be nasty to FC Viktoria, you could easily say that there were more club representatives and player consultants in the stands than away fans of the Cologne team in the very modest guest block.

Forecasting could see representatives of second division clubs in particular. Employees of 1. FC Nürnberg, Karlsruher SC and Hertha BSC, for example, watched the Essen victory over Cologne.

RS knows: The sporting directors of FC Schalke 04, Andre Hechelmann and Marc Wilmots, also had two VIP tickets reserved for the match between RWE and Viktoria, but canceled at short notice.

According to RS information, one player who is in the focus of these second division clubs, including Schalke, is: Luca Marseiler.

The 26-year-old is having a strong season – 19 games, nine goals, three assists – and wants to leave Viktoria on a free transfer in the summer. Oliver Seibert, Marseiler’s advisor, said at the beginning of January: “Out of respect for the trusting discussions with the clubs, I’m not giving any status reports. But the fact is that he has played his way into the limelight. He will play in the 1st or 2nd Bundesliga from July 1.”

At least in the 90 minutes in Essen, the striker was not at his best. He received a yellow card in the 41st minute and was substituted after 69 minutes.

Meanwhile, his team-mate Donny Bogicevic was more conspicuous than Marseiler. The 22-year-old attacking player initiated a number of dangerous Viktoria attacks, especially in the first half, and was also able to score the interim 1:2 equalizer. In addition to Marseiler, the Schalke officials are said to have set their sights on Bogicevic – 16 games, four goals, two assists. However, according to our information, both players are a topic for the 2024/2025 squad planning.

Schalke have other priorities in the current transfer window, such as the position of right-back. With regard to this personnel matter, Hechelmann and Wilmots are also said to have been out and about on Tuesday evening instead of getting a live impression of Marseiler and Bogicevic in Essen