After six years, Rouwen Hennings left Fortuna Düsseldorf last summer. He moved to Baden-Württemberg, even though he could have stayed in North Rhine-Westphalia.

When SV Sandhausen meets MSV Duisburg on Saturday, it will be a clash between the ninth-placed team and the 20th-placed team in the league. Before the season, both teams had actually set their sights on a top position.

After ten years in the second division, Sandhausen wanted and still wants to return to the German soccer elite as quickly as possible. To achieve this goal, the Baden-Württemberg club signed several top players in the summer of 2023.

One example is Rouwen Hennings, most recently captain at Fortuna Düsseldorf. The 36-year-old played 229 games (84 goals, 28 assists) for Fortuna. In Sandhausen, the 77-time Bundesliga striker has made 17 competitive appearances and scored eight goals so far.

Forecasting spoke to Rouwen Hennings ahead of SVS’s match against MSV Duisburg.

Rouwen Hennings, how would you assess SV Sandhausen’s current season?

I would describe the current season as mixed. We deserved more points in some games.

Why do you think things are not going according to plan?

If we knew exactly, we would have fixed it already. Sometimes we don’t defend well and sometimes we don’t convert our chances. We know what we need to work on.

There has already been a change of coach: you have also been in the business for a long time. When there is a change in this position, who has actually “failed” more: the coach or the team?

Failure is a harsh word, of course. None of us are satisfied with what we have achieved so far. Coach Danny Galm tried everything, but we simply lacked that last bit of luck as a team.

What does Jens Keller do differently from his predecessor?

Both have their own ideas about soccer. Coach Jens Keller is a bit more vocal and demands more than Danny Galm.

Yes, I also talked to Essen. But there were several reasons why it didn’t work out. I’m not crying over RWE and I’m happy to be at SV Sandhausen now.

Rouwen Hennings

Things are going well for you personally – eight goal contributions in 13 games is impressive, isn’t it?

Eight goal contributions is okay. But I hope I can help the team a lot more in the future.

What target have you set yourself for this season?

I did that once in my career, setting myself a target, and it backfired (laughs). That’s why I don’t do it anymore.

Why did you actually choose SV Sandhausen?

I chose Sandhausen because it was the best overall package for my situation. I’m not far from my family and everything suits me here.

According to our information, you were also in talks with Rot-Weiss Essen. Why did the move to Essen fall through? You could have stayed with your family in North Rhine-Westphalia…

Yes, I did talk to Essen. But there were several reasons why it didn’t work out. I’m not crying over RWE and I’m happy to be at SV Sandhausen now.

Your next opponent is a North Rhine-Westphalia club: How surprised are you by MSV Duisburg’s current situation?

I’m too far away to be able to analyze MSV’s sporting situation. Of course, I’ve known the club for a long time. We’ve also played against them in the second division. I wish MSV all the best—but only after the game at our place.

Why is MSV still a dangerous opponent for Sandhausen?

They are a dangerous opponent because they have a lot of strong players in their ranks. They haven’t found their form yet. I hope that won’t be the case on Saturday either.

Do you think MSV will survive in the end?

Of course, they still have a chance. But they are also in a very dangerous situation because the league is at a very high level.