Injury shock and new addition to the Landesliga leaders

1 FC Monheim are on course for promotion again in the Landesliga Niederrhein 1. However, there is some bad news – and a new signing.

Relegation is not easy for many clubs to cope with, and there are numerous examples of this from professional to amateur soccer.

This is not the case for 1. FC Monheim: after being relegated from the Oberliga Niederrhein, coach Dennis Ruess’s team is right back at the top and, as winter champions of the Landesliga Niederrhein 1, is on course for promotion again. They have a five-point lead over closest rivals SC Kapellen-Erft.

On the last matchday before the winter break, Monheim won 3:2 against ASV Mettmann – and that after the club had to cope with some bad news shortly beforehand.

Captain Philip Lehnert was diagnosed with a torn cruciate ligament after injuring his knee. The long-serving FCM midfielder will therefore be out for months and may not play at all this season

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“We are all shocked. Lenni injured himself in a seemingly harmless situation, so we hoped until the very end that it might have been a minor one,” explained coach Ruess.

He continued: “Receiving a diagnosis like that is a disaster for all of us, but especially for the boy. We will miss him not only as a captain off the pitch, but above all because of his sporting value on it. We now have to try and make up for that. But above all, we have to be there for him. We will now calmly make all the necessary arrangements so that we can see Lenni back on the pitch fully recovered as soon as possible.”

A few days earlier, Monheim were also able to announce some positive personnel news. They signed Kai Robin Schneider as a new signing for the second half of the season. The right-back comes to the Rhine from Oberliga club 1. FC Kleve and brings the experience of almost 150 fifth division games to Monheim.

He has already been training with his new team-mates in recent weeks – and, according to Ruess, has fitted in perfectly straight away. “Not only does he have a fine character, he also brings an enormous physical presence and dynamism to our game, as well as targeted runs down the flanks,” said the coach, who is delighted with the new addition.