Fatihspor Essen is facing a pivotal match. We spoke with coach Adem Durmus about staying in the Bezirksliga and the upcoming relegation showdown.

Fatihspor Essen is fighting to avoid relegation in Bezirksliga Division 6 in the Lower Rhine region. Coach Adem Durmus’s team is in a relegation spot after 24 matchdays.

After the first half of the season, Durmus declared in a Forecasting interview that he wanted to earn twice as many points in the second half as in the first. So far, however, the team has yet to win a game since the restart and has earned only three points from seven matches.

The gap to a non-relegation spot is now two points. Ironically, the crucial 14th place in the standings is currently held by Fatihspor’s next opponent: Sportfreunde Königshardt.

When Fatihspor Essen visits Oberhausen on Sunday (March 29) at 3:15 p.m., it will be nothing less than a six-pointer. Fatihspor’s coach puts it just as clearly: “It’s a pivotal game. If we lose this match, we can start planning for a lower division. If we get a point or even win, our hopes are naturally much higher right away.“

Clear words, yet despite the do-or-die situation, the mood in the team is positive: ”The guys are highly motivated. But there’s no pressure—just excitement. The pressure has pretty much lifted by now. If it works out, it works out; if it doesn’t, then it doesn’t.”

Despite the difficult sporting situation, Durmus doesn’t believe that both teams will sit back and try to keep a clean sheet first: “I don’t think Königshardt will try to keep us at a distance during the game. They’ll apply pressure right away and challenge us.”

He, too, doesn’t want to hide with his team on the road. Anything is possible, and teams like Königshardt are on the same level as his team. “I think we can pull something off there. We have nothing left to lose. As things stand today, we’d be relegated. Let’s go for it—all or nothing—that’s the motto.”