Danny Cornelius is originally from Bottrop and has called the far north home for over a decade. He is now a successful Oberliga coach.
Danny Cornelius will still be a familiar name to many soccer fans in the Ruhr region.
The Bottrop native once played in the youth ranks at Rot-Weiss Essen, later at SG Wattenscheid 09, and was also a professional with Wuppertaler SV.
Rhenania Bottrop, Fortuna Bottrop, Rot-Weiss Essen, and SG Wattenscheid 09 (2000–2004) were Danny Cornelius’s youth clubs. To this day, his heart remains with RWE. In addition, he made 11 appearances for Wattenscheid’s first team and 23 appearances for Wuppertaler SV in the West. The player, who has made 153 appearances in the third division, played most of his career for VfB Lübeck: 65 games, nine goals, and 23 assists.
Cornelius has been living in northern Germany with his wife and four children for more than twelve years.
Since January 17, 2023, he had been in charge of VfB Lübeck’s U15 regional league team before joining SC Rönnau as senior coach in the summer of 2024 and, four months later in November 2024, taking the helm as head coach at the historic club VfR Neumünster.
I’ve learned the most from Pavel Dotchev, who was my coach in Erfurt—especially when it comes to the human side of things
Danny Cornelius
In the Schleswig-Holstein Oberliga, 40-year-old Cornelius, who holds a B license, is currently in sixth place with VfR Neumünster. Before the current season, Cornelius spoke of avoiding relegation once again in the Schleswig-Holstein Oberliga and also had his sights set on the Indoor Masters in January 2026 at the Wunderino Arena in Kiel. Qualification for the Masters is already confirmed, and avoiding relegation is virtually certain, with the team currently holding a 15-point lead over the relegation zone.
The VfR players really enjoy working with Coach Cornelius. “He’s just a really great guy who speaks the players’ language and is very close to us. He’s both laid-back—always up for a story and a laugh—and totally focused and meticulous,” VfR defender Jonas Schomaker told “Kicker.”
Cornelius himself feels right at home in Neumünster. His contract runs through June 30, 2028. The club is counting on Cornelius and will also support him in his A-license training program.
“I’ve submitted my application for the A-license. The club has said I can pursue the A-license, and VfR is giving me the financial and time resources to make it happen. That’s a huge compliment for me,” says the Bottrop native. Regarding his future goals with VfR Neumünster, Cornelius adds: “We’re in calm waters and want to establish ourselves as a solid Oberliga team while continuing to develop and strengthen the squad step by step.”
He cites the current record-holding coach in the Third Division as his role model. Cornelius: “I’ve learned the most from Pavel Dotchev, who was my coach in Erfurt—especially when it comes to the human side of things.” And that’s exactly what the players at VfR Neumünster appreciate so much about Danny Cornelius.