In the Bezirksliga Group 5 on the Lower Rhine, the race for the title is tight. Shortly before the start of the second half of the season, VfB Bottrop is making a change of coach.

With 14 matchdays to go before the end of the season, the big favorites for promotion, VfB Bottrop, are two points behind Spielvereinigung Sterkrade 06/07.

“With our quality, we can’t go four games without a win. That’s too much. We have to make sure that we give up even fewer points in the new year. This is not meant to sound arrogant, but it is also true that we simply have a great team together,” said Kudret Kanoglu, captain of VfB Bottrop, at the end of 2023.

The attack on first place will be tackled without Volker Hohmann. He had only taken over from Can Ucar as coach at the Jahn Stadium at the end of November 2023 and got the team back on track after a period of weakness. During the winter break, Hohmann was also able to win the Bottrop City Championship and achieve good results in test matches.

And yet: Since the beginning of the week, Hohmann, who most recently had only short interludes at Rheinland Hamborn, FSV Duisburg and Duisburger SV 1900, is no longer the coach of VfB Bottrop. After about three months, it’s over.

“It was a good and successful time. Unfortunately, personal reasons have led me to resign from the position. I wish the team and the club all the best for the future,” Hohmann told Forecasting.

Gündüz Tubay, VfB boss, also said only briefly and succinctly: ”We thank Volker Hohmann for his work and wish him all the best.”

Just after winning the indoor title, VfB Bottrop had appointed Dusan Trebaljevac as Volker Hohmann’s equal coaching partner. He is now the new head coach at VfB. The B-licensed coach was most recently employed by local rivals and league competitors Fortuna Bottrop.

On Sunday (February 18, 3 p.m.), Bottrop will be back in action for Bezirksliga points at GSV Suderwick. Kudret and his brother Samet Kanoglu will not be there and will have to serve a suspension.