The race for the title in the Lower Rhine District League Group 5 is close. Shortly before the start of the second half of the season, VfB Bottrop changed coaches.

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

“With our quality, we can’t remain winless in four games. That’s too much. We have to make sure that we drop even fewer points in the new year. That’s not meant to sound arrogant, but the truth is that we simply have a great team,” said Kudret Kanoglu, captain of VfB Bottrop, at the end of 2023.

The attack on first place will be launched without Volker Hohmann. He only took over from Can Ucar as coach at the Jahnstadion at the end of November 2023 and got the team back on track after a weak phase. During the winter break, Hohmann also won the Bottrop city championship and achieved good test match results.

And yet, since the beginning of the week, Hohmann, who had only brief interludes with Rheinland Hamborn, FSV Duisburg and Duisburger SV 1900, is no longer coach of VfB Bottrop. After around three months, it’s over.

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

Gündüz Tubay, VfB boss, was also brief and to the point: “We would like to thank Volker Hohmann for his work and wish him all the best.”

It was only shortly after the indoor title that VfB Bottrop appointed Dusan Trebaljevac as Volker Hohmann’s equal coaching partner. The latter is now the new head coach at VfB. The B-license holder most recently worked for local rivals and league rivals Fortuna Bottrop.

On Sunday (February 18, 3 p.m.), the Bottrop team will once again be competing for district league points at GSV Suderwick. Kudret and his brother Samet Kanoglu will not be involved and will have to serve a suspension