Third-division football club Rot-Weiss Essen is about to kick off the upcoming third-division season. RevierSport spoke to sports director Jörn Nowak.

Jörn Nowak has been sports director at Rot-Weiss Essen since 2019. In his third season, RWE achieved the longed-for promotion to the 3rd League. It was a rocky but successful road – now the Essen team is back in paid professional football. The fans had to wait 14 years for this moment.

With a home match against SV Elversberg (23 July, 2 p.m.), champions of the Regionalliga Südwest, Rot-Weiss Essen will start the new third league season on Saturday. Before the kick-off, Jörn Nowak (36) took time for a big RevierSport interview. Essen’s sporting director talks about Elversberg, the euphoria at the club, further possible departures and squad planning for the current season:

I would like our environment to maintain the euphoria for a long time and to have confidence in the team even in the face of possible setbacks. They should have worked hard for that.

Essen’s sports director on his wish.

Jörn Nowak, only a few days to go until the start of the season against fellow promoted team SV Elversberg. What will prevail: anticipation or tension?

The anticipation clearly outweighs the tension. We’ve longed for the 3rd Division for a long time and now it’s finally here. And then at home on Hafenstraße. It’s going to be a great event.

The Hafenstrasse will be full. Do you think this backdrop can give the team that decisive push once again?

Absolutely. On the last matchday of the past season, you saw how much energy our crowd can unleash on our team when they cheer unconditionally for 90 minutes.

Elversberg have achieved good results in preparation and remained unbeaten. What kind of opponent do you expect?

Both teams have played a strong regional league season and have only strengthened themselves selectively. Elversberg will demand everything from us in terms of fighting, but I’m sure we’re strong enough to hold our own against them and to be able to keep making a playful impact.

Over 8300 members, almost 10,000 season tickets sold – Rot-Weiss Essen is setting one club record after another. The euphoria is palpable throughout the city. Hand on heart: What does the sports director think RWE can achieve this season?

It’s pure madness what’s happening around the club right now. That makes it all the more important that we continue to work with focus and meticulousness. Then I am convinced that we can play a good season. I hope that our environment will keep up the euphoria for a long time and have confidence in the team, even in the face of possible setbacks. They should have worked hard for that.

Currently, the squad is very big. There are several strike candidates who have already been communicated. Are there any other players who can/should leave the club after the preparation?

I firmly expect that a few more players will leave us before the transfer deadline. Christoph Dabrowski communicates very transparently with the players, so that everyone can assess their own situation. Each player has to assess for himself whether he could perhaps play a more important role at another club than he does with us.

What squad number would be optimal for you?

I don’t want to tie it down to a specific number. With Michel Niemeyer we have a long-term injury and with Kevin Holzweiler a convalescent, both of whom will certainly need some time before they are one hundred percent. Basically, I believe that we will need a somewhat larger squad than in the Regionalliga because of the higher intensity in the 3rd Division. But it is also clear that every player must identify one hundred percent with his role in our squad. That was one of the keys to our success last year.

Although this question is probably annoying: Is Michel Niemeyer still expected to play in the first half of the season? What is his status?

There is nothing new to report. Michel is in rehabilitation training after his minor operation. We firmly believe that he will regain his old performance despite the long period of suffering. We will give him the necessary time and patience to achieve this.

Last season it was often said that squad planning in the 3rd division would be much easier than in the Regionalliga. Can you confirm this statement now?

The market access has changed, but the task remains the same. We have to find players who fit the club’s philosophy and the coach’s idea of the game, and who also fit into our team in terms of character.

Was it clear to you from the outset that you would continue to rely on the heroes of the promotion team in the 3rd league, or was a major upheaval also an issue?

It was clear to us, and it was also the plan, to put our trust in the promotion team. That’s why we had also given most of our players contracts for the 3rd division. I am sure that our players will repay our trust with performance.

What has to happen by the end of the season for you to say: It was a successful season?

The end of the season is too far in the future for me. We want to get off to a successful start now and collect as many points as possible quickly. Then we can deal with the topic of the season’s goal again in due course.