FC Kosova Düsseldorf is growing rapidly and is in the running for promotion to the Oberliga. Coach Mohamed El Mimouni talks about the goals and challenges.

Düsseldorf can no longer be described as a football city these days. Apart from Fortuna, there is not a single club from the state capital in the top five (!) leagues.

The city’s current number two plays in the state league – and until two years ago was still in the district league. But since then, things have been going rapidly upwards for FC Kosova.

The club is now playing in the Landesliga. A promotion to the Oberliga is not an unrealistic scenario. After 15 match days, Kosova is in the running for promotion. They are only one point behind the top two teams, VfL Viktoria Jüchen-Garzweiler and FC Remscheid.

Are the Düsseldorfers now preparing to establish themselves as the permanent number two in the city? “We have to remain humble and think in small steps,” emphasizes coach Mohamed El Mimouni. “We are currently in a very good position. But the season is still long.”

The euphoria surrounding the Kosovo-run club is currently huge. Last weekend, the club hosted the Kosovo Super Cup. It had qualified for the event by beating other European clubs with a Kosovo background. The reward: a clash with the professional club FK Ballkani.

The Supercup is normally held in the Balkan state, but the Düsseldorf team invited the Champions League qualifier to Düsseldorf. Despite losing 1-0, the event turned out to be a huge success. According to the club, around 4,000 spectators came to the rented VfL Benrath stadium on Sunday.

Among them were onlookers from all over Europe and leading Kosovan politicians such as the parliamentary speaker. The game was broadcast live, there was a press conference and an online ticket sale. “The organizational effort was enormous. I have never experienced anything like it in my many years as a coach,” enthuses El Mimouni. “Outstanding.”

The biggest day in the club’s history so far shows that FC Kosova is no ordinary regional league club. The management and over 100 sponsors have big ambitions, and they don’t want to stop at the regional league.

Without this infrastructure, we have no place in the higher leagues in the long term

Mohamed El Mimouni

El Mimouni should be a suitable coach for this project. At his last station, the 41-year-old led MSV Düsseldorf to the Oberliga. But after narrowly missing out on staying up in 2023 and El Mimouni’s departure, the city neighbor crashed again and is now only playing in the district league.

A cautionary tale, as El Mimouni is well aware. He warns against an excessive obsession with success. “The season is still long. If we stay up there until the end, we certainly wouldn’t rule out the Oberliga.”

The biggest challenge is not to qualify for higher leagues, but to achieve healthy growth off the pitch. According to the coach, the biggest challenge is to create an appropriate infrastructure. At the moment, the club doesn’t even have its own grounds.

“We are in the process of developing the club on many levels. We want to start a youth department. We need our own facilities, a grandstand, a clubhouse, parking spaces. Without this infrastructure, we have no place in the higher leagues in the long term.”