SGS Essen got off to a disastrous start to the season in the Women’s Bundesliga. By the end of the year, however, the storied club had regained its footing.

Even the 1-4 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt at the end of the year is unlikely to have dampened the budding hope at SGS Essen all that much. Yet at the start of the season in the Women’s Bundesliga, it didn’t look as though the historic club would have any chance at all of avoiding relegation this season. They had just two points to their credit after the first ten games. The low point was undoubtedly the 0-8 loss to VfL Wolfsburg.

The club struggled immensely following the departure of head coach Markus Högner, who had moved to Borussia Dortmund. The decision to bring in Robert Augustin as interim coach was not a success.

Under interim coach Jessica Wissmann, however, SGS got back on track. Eight points in four games and a climb out of the relegation zone were the rewards. In the process, the Essen women even kept three clean sheets.

For the remainder of the season, which begins on January 25, 2026, with an away match against Hamburger SV, SGS is gaining new momentum. Wissmann is stepping back into a supporting role. In her place, Heleen Jaques is taking over as head coach. The 37-year-old Belgian now plans to build on the work of her new assistant coach. “The short-term goal is, of course, to avoid relegation,” she explained during her introductory press conference in mid-December.

She still has twelve games to achieve that. SGS Essen is also still in the DFB Cup. However, the quarterfinal match against Werder Bremen in March is likely to play only a minor role. Only the day-to-day league action counts—and that is certainly challenge enough for the Essen women for now.

And yet Wissemann has once again sparked that hope. Accordingly, Florian Zeutschler, managing director of SGS, was convinced that Jaques, Wissmann, and the entire Essen team “will continue the positive trend of recent weeks.”