On Saturday (3 p.m.), Rot-Weiß Oberhausen will play Ratingen 04/19 in the semi-finals of the Niederrheinpokal. The match also has a significance for the new season.
In the coming season in the Regionalliga West, Rot-Weiß Oberhausen wants to attack and aim for promotion.
In this tight league with only one promoted team, this cannot be planned. But those in charge see that the starting position is probably more favourable than it has been for a long time.
RWO boss Hajo Sommers told RS: “It will be closer than ever at the top. All teams have the same conditions except for 200,000 to 300,000 euros. Aachen, Fortuna Cologne, WSV, Rödinghausen or us. There’s no big outlier financially any more.”
He adds: “Unless BVB II is still relegated.” In that case, as in the last few years, there would be another team at the start, which, like Rot-Weiss Essen or Preußen Münster in the past, would start with a much higher budget than the competition.
However, it still seems realistic that neither RWE nor BVB will be relegated and that a promotion battle on equal terms can start in the Regionalliga. Which leads RWO to consider raising the budget slightly.
Sommers: “We have to increase the budget anyway, because the costs for the professional team are going up – even if wages remain the same.” RevierSport reported on the issue.
But even aside from these costs, the club would like to broaden its professional ranks, as the squad in the current season was not always up to the demands.
The squad definitely needs to be broader.
Hajo Sommers
Sommers: “We should make sure that we have something that can win promotion. We definitely need to improve the width of the squad. The talks are ongoing. But it’s also clear that we’re not going to commit hara-kiri.”
The rebuilding will probably be a bit bigger, because top performers like Anton Heinz and Nils Winter seem to be unavailable.
That’s why RWO will also have to make additional investments, and there are two areas where additional money can be raised. Sommers: “With the sponsors, we always find smaller or bigger ones to give us additional support.”
In addition, the team has to deliver on Saturday. That’s when the upper league team Ratingen 04/19 comes to the Stadion Niederrhein for the semi-final of the Niederrheinpokal.
A win is a must if the team wants to reach the bigger money pots. Number one would await in the final if Rot-Weiss Essen prevail in the second semi-final at 1. FC Bocholt on Tuesday.
A possible final in Essen, with RWO also bidding for a final as a venue, would also flush up to 150,000 euros into Oberhausen’s coffers if the stadium on Hafenstraße (19,100 visitors) is sold out. This is because the total revenue is shared, with the association receiving five per cent beforehand.
Sommers: “We haven’t budgeted much for the cup. That would be on top of it.” And if RWO succeeds in winning the cup, there will be a huge income waiting for them. In addition to the 130,000 euros for reaching the DFB Cup, there is also the income from at least the 1st round.