After more than a decade in the Regionalliga West, Rot-Weiß Oberhausen can once again dream of the 3rd Division. We spoke with CEO Marcus Uhlig.

After 18 matchdays, Rot-Weiß Oberhausen is just three points behind league leader Fortuna Köln and has a realistic chance of winning the championship. This would, of course, also mean promotion to the 3rd League.

In a major Christmas interview, Forecasting spoke with RWO boss Marcus Uhlig about exciting topics related to the club.

Marcus Uhlig, how would you assess the year 2025 for Rot-Weiß Oberhausen from a sporting perspective?

The 2025 calendar year went very well from a sporting standpoint. We’ve earned over 60 points across both seasons and have had—or are having—a strong cup run. If we look at the standings now, we see a promising position that leaves all options open for the second half of the season. We should also include the continued positive development in our youth program as well as the successful relaunch of our second team. So we’re celebrating Christmas with satisfaction.

And in terms of finances and infrastructure: What were you and your team able to get off the ground in 2025?

Quite a lot. We’ve given our sponsorship division a complete overhaul and made significant changes here. New products, improved messaging, and greater professionalism in execution and support. As a result, we’ve added a total of 35 new partners between the end of January and now. I stand by my prediction: we will achieve our goal of having at least 150 RWO partners by the end of this season! In addition, we’ve made significant progress on the stadium expansion front in 2025: both in terms of ensuring the stadium meets Third Division standards and in planning a new Kanal stand. We’ve also initiated several initiatives regarding marketing, brand image, our presence in the city, and more; we’ll be presenting a comprehensive concept to the public shortly. We have also developed a very strong committee culture; many committee representatives are additionally involved in various working groups. That’s going really well. We’ve made some changes to stadium catering and have since optimized it. And last but not least, we’re currently in the process of reorganizing and consolidating all of RWO’s social media activities. More on that soon, too.

Promotion, further economic progress, and positive progress on the stadium expansion

Marcus Uhlig’s Christmas wish list

Back to sports: You know the Regionalliga inside and out. The chance of promotion has never been this great, has it?

I wouldn’t go that far, but the opportunity is definitely there. The fact that we’re in such a good position now after our mixed start naturally makes us happy and confirms that it was absolutely the right decision to stick to our chosen path and continue to rely on our team behind the players this summer. We stayed calm, analyzed the problems together, then made the necessary adjustments, and kept working consistently.

What will ultimately decide promotion or non-promotion?

The point total (laughs). If you want to be at the top in the end, you need to be able to win as many close games as possible—or even those where you’re not in top form—in the end. You need a solid defense, of course a certain level of efficiency on offense, and you should be spared major injury problems as much as possible.

Can the fans look forward to more reinforcements of Timur Mehmet Kesim’s caliber?

First of all, we’re glad we managed “Memo’s” return so well. Thanks again to everyone involved. Also to Hertha and “Memo’s” agency. It was all very professional. But now we should still give him time and support him in getting back to his old RWO form. Otherwise, I don’t want to say too much publicly about our personnel planning. Especially since we have great confidence in the quality and character of our current team. But of course, we’re always keeping an eye on the market.

The future of head coach Sebastian Gunkel remains uncertain: what’s the current status, and what’s still holding things up?

We’ve already emphasized elsewhere that we’re having very positive and respectful discussions about a possible extension of our partnership. We have made it clear that we would very much like to shape and develop our shared future with Sebastian and his team beyond the summer. I’m quite optimistic that this will indeed happen.

Hand on heart: After the weak start to the season, did you consider suspending the coach or sporting director Dennis Lichtenwimmer?

No, not for a second. And that wasn’t even discussed for a second in the committees. As you know, I strongly believe in continuing down a path that we once embarked upon together out of conviction, even in the face of resistance.

A quick note on the second team: They’re on track for Kreisliga A. Recently, there have been rumors about a possible signing of RWE idols Kevin Grund and Marcel Platzek. Is there any truth to that?

First, both players are currently under contract with RWE. Second, both teams are in promising positions in the standings and have an important second half of the season ahead of them. For that reason alone, any public speculation about personnel is out of the question—even if the question might seem obvious, since it’s no secret that we know each other well and have never lost touch.

While we’re on the topic of RWE: Let’s assume that RWO gets promoted to the 3rd Division: Would you prefer a league with Rot-Weiss Essen and MSV Duisburg, or without them?

I’m definitely rooting for RWE in the promotion race. But of course I’d be happy to have a 3rd Division season with RWO, where we’d play as many local derbies as possible.

Three wishes: If you had these for 2026 regarding RWO—what would they be?

Promotion, further financial progress, and positive progress on the stadium expansion project.