Ex-Third Division professional Frederik Lach captained ETB SW Essen in the local derby against FC Kray. ETB coach Apfeld would have liked to work with him earlier.
In his first competitive match as a newcomer, he immediately led the team in a derby. ETB player Frederik Lach, who moved to the Uhlenkrug in Essen at the beginning of the season from third-division club SC Verl, managed to do just that in the opening game against FC Kray.
But part of the whole story is that the 25-year-old defender has a black and white past. Because from 2009 to 2010, Lach played in the ETB youth team. “Of course it was nice to be allowed to lead the team as captain. Back then, I was already captain here in the U13s. That brings us full circle,” the central defender said happily.
At that time, he also aroused the interest of the current ETB coach Damian Apfeld, who was active in the youth sector at Rot-Weiss Essen for many years: “I can still remember that I always wanted to bring Frederik to Rot-Weiss Essen at the U12 and U13 level, but he was so strongly rooted here at ETB. Even back then he always led his teams,” recalls Apfeld.
He lives this club
Damian Apfel
Now they both work together at ETB, something Apfeld is visibly proud of: “He lives this club. For example, he immediately took part in a holiday camp here and is co-trainer in the U12s. 90 minutes before training starts, he’s the first one here at all, and when others are already at home, he’s still doing his last practice. The bottom line is that he leads the way in everything. We can be proud as a club to have got this player.”
Lach, who made twelve appearances for SC Verl in the 3. Liga, is also looking forward to playing at the Uhlenkrug again and is full of praise for the work of the new coaching duo Damian Apfeld and Ulf Ripke: “I was asked what the difference is between Verl and ETB. There is hardly any in the training work, meticulousness and training content. I don’t see any big differences between a football coach in Verl, of which I had two, or Damian here at ETB. He and also Ulf exemplify incredible passion for us.”
The native of Herne can, however, pinpoint one difference: “Here, everyone really comes out of passion. In Verl, we also had a few people who might have said they were only doing it for financial reasons. But here everyone does it with heart. “
