KFC Uerdingen have finalised the signing of Marcus John as coach and sporting director in personal union.
RS had already reported a few days ago that Marcus John was on the verge of a move to KFC Uerdingen. Since this Thursday evening, the personnel matter is fixed.
After his departure from 1. FC Bocholt, the 48-year-old coach will join the Krefeld club as the new head coach and sporting director for the new season. After KFC’s already messed-up Oberliga season, the experienced man is to lead the Uerdingen side back to the Regionalliga West in the coming season.
In a statement, club president Damien Raths explains why those responsible see John as the right man for the job: “Marcus John is a coach with a lot of experience and contacts in the Lower Rhine region. He knows the league, the other clubs and the players. With him, we have been able to win a proven expert with whom we want to realign the sporting area for the coming season.”
Furthermore, it is already clear that John will be supported by two confidants in his future task. He brings with him Said Essahel as co-coach and Mareike Bolz as team manager. John had already worked with the duo during his time at SSVg Velbert.
As part of John’s introduction, Uerdingen also announced that “further decisions in the sporting area” will follow in the next two weeks.
We are all convinced: As a farewell gift, Marcus will leave us with a chance to stay in the league.
Ludger Triphaus, President 1. FC Bocholt
But before John can fully concentrate on KFC, he has another tricky task to tackle: not being relegated with 1. FC Bocholt in the Regionalliga. In a statement by the Niederrhein club on John’s move to Uerdingen, the coach once again expressed his confidence: “All fans and those responsible can be sure that I will give everything for 1. FC Bocholt until the last second. Together we will manage to stay in the league.”
President Ludger Triphaus agrees, taking a conciliatory tone. John has “always played his cards close to the chest” with the club management, says Triphaus. “We can understand his decision. In Uerdingen he will be much closer to his home in Mönchengladbach. We are all convinced that Marcus will leave us with a farewell gift of staying in the league. “