Rot-Weiss Essen strengthened their team with Clemens Fandrich on Friday. The defensive midfielder most recently spent six years at Aue. RS asked an ex-teammate.
For almost two weeks, the fans of Rot-Weiss Essen have been waiting for a reinforcement for their team. On Friday morning, RWE presented Clemens Fandrich as a new addition. A 31-year-old defensive midfielder who last played for FC Erzgebirge Aue for six years. According to RS information, Fandrich was also on Eintracht Braunschweig’s wish list. In the end, however, third-division club RWE beat the second-division club to Fandrich.
RevierSport asked Robert Jendrusch, current goalkeeper of Regionalliga West leaders 1. FC Kaan-Marienborn, what kind of person and type of player Fandrich is. Jendrusch spent five seasons with Fandrich in the second division squad of FC Erzgebirge Aue.
I’m sure he’ll fit in at Essen. That’ll work out. RWE is similarly emotional to Aue and Clemens likes clubs like that. He handles the emotions perfectly, doesn’t let anything get to him, but is definitely pushed by the force of the fans.
Robert Jendrusch on Clemens Fandrich
Robert Jendrusch, what kind of person can Rot-Weiss Essen look forward to?
Clemens is a rather quiet, very relaxed person who always fits well into a team. He’s a real team player who doesn’t make any stink. I have always got on very well with him.
He has played in Cottbus, in Leipzig, Luzern and Aue. Will he feel at home in Essen?
He is a person who is close to home. That’s why he played in Aue for six years. In the meantime, I think he’s at home in Leipzig. He has also bought a house there. But I’m sure he’ll fit in at Essen. It’ll work out. RWE is similarly emotional to Aue and Clemens likes clubs like that. He handles the emotions perfectly, doesn’t let anything show, but is definitely pushed by the fans’ energy.
What type of player is he?
When you operate with two sixes, he is more of a ball distributor in the centre. In Aue, that worked great with Philipp Riese on the six. But Clemens is also a horse’s tongue, an absolute running animal. You can tell that he went through the RB-Leipzig school. He presses, runs again and again and can’t be broken down.
What do you think: You know Him: Why did he, as a 200-plus-time second division player, choose a third division promotion team?
You have to be honest about that too, similar to me: the transfer market is not a dream concert. For sure he flirted with the 2nd Bundesliga. But this summer the market is dead. The wheel doesn’t turn the way many people think it does. There aren’t that many options, probably not even for Clemens. He recently kept himself fit with Christian Tiffert at Chemnitzer FC, and certainly didn’t have to accept every offer. Essen is not the least attractive employer either. I think he made a good choice. For Rot-Weiss Essen, Clemens Fandrich is definitely a stroke of luck.
