An era of coaching at SpVgg Steele 03/09 will come to an end after the current season. Dirk Möllensiep is stepping down. Before that, he wants to lead the team to safety in the league.
After a 1-5 defeat against Sterkrade-Nord at the start of 2026, SpVgg Steele 03/09 showed its better side this time and won the Essen derby at Baldeneysee 3-1 against Heisinger SV.
“That was a six-point game, so we’re all the happier,” Dirk Möllensiep sighs with relief. The Steelenser coach adds: “Within a few days, we showed our two faces once again: the worse one against Sterkrade and the better and truer one against Heisingen. Except for Fabian Handke’s broken nose, it was an almost perfect game. Thanks to a great deal of commitment, which we lacked last week, we showed what we are capable of in Heisingen. We have to keep it up.“ Möllensiep’s team is above the line with 19 points. ”Our goal must be to secure our place in the league as early as possible in the coming weeks. We don’t want to be nervous until the very end,“ emphasizes the 55-year-old. Steele’s next chance to add to its points tally is on Sunday (February 22, 5 p.m.) at Rot-Weiss Essen II on Seumannstraße in Altenessen. Möllensiep: ”That’s obviously a bonus game. The bar is set very high. But we have to give it our all and then see what’s possible if we can keep a clean sheet for a long time. And of course, we have to stop Marcel Platzek.”
Many people say that I won’t be able to stand it and will be back on the sidelines by the end of 2026 at the latest. But no! I promised not only my wife, but also myself: After this season, my coaching career will be history.
Dirk Möllensiep
RWE II started the rest of the season with two clear victories against Arminia Lirich and Blau-Gelb Überruhr. If it were up to experienced coaching veteran Möllensiep, however, the third division club’s reserve team would not be promoted to the regional league. “I don’t think RWE II will be promoted. I consider teams like Arminia Klosterhardt, SV Burgaltendorf, and Sterkrade 06/07 to be stronger. I think the trio will decide it among themselves,” says Möllensiep, giving his promotion tip. If Steele 03/09 is then most likely to play in the district league in the 2026/2027 season, the coach will no longer be Dirk Möllensiep, RevierSport reported.
And the family man, who will also become a grandfather in the summer, wants to stick to his decision. He explains: “Many say that I won’t be able to stand it and will be back on the sidelines by the end of 2026 at the latest. But no! I promised not only my wife, but also myself: After the current season, my coaching career will be history. In the future, I will devote myself to other tasks as a kind of sports director and official vice president.”
One thing is clear: Dirk Möllensiep wants to crown his successful coaching career by keeping the team in the district league.