The news that successful coach Tim Schneider’s contract with VfB Hilden will not be extended has caused quite a stir. Now his successor has been named.
These are not quiet times in Itterstadt. Following the unexpected departure of longtime successful coach Tim Schneider at the end of the season, the phones have been ringing off the hook for officials at the Lower Rhine Oberliga club VfB Hilden.
The reasons for his departure in June are to be explained. “Of course we had our reasons, but they are purely sports-related and not for public consumption,” said Daniel Wittke, expressing a clear stance on the coaching situation at Hoffeldstraße. This move is likely to surprise more than just the long-time VfB fans. Schneider is held in the highest regard both within the team and throughout the club. The team’s results, especially this season, prove him right.
Now, a successor has been named exceptionally early. According to Forecasting reports, Antonio Molina is set to take the reins again this summer. The current coach of Westfalenliga club Wacker Obercastrop is no stranger to Hilden. As recently as last fall, he served as sporting director at Itter, and from 2013 to 2015, Molina was already on the sidelines for VfB Hilden. Just a week ago, he announced his departure from Obercastrop at the end of the season (RS reported).
By now, it should be clear why. Whether Molina will be the right man on the sidelines for the potential Regionalliga campaign is something no one can answer in advance. If the team is promoted, the roster will definitely need further tweaking. The 53-year-old is said to have good connections, including within the youth departments. The Molina deal is set to be presented to the public as early as this week.
For years, good work has been done in the tranquil town of Hilden, both on the field and behind the scenes. A few weeks ago, this was rewarded with a clear signal to the team. “Yes, we will submit our application for the Regionalliga West by the deadline at the end of the month,” confirmed VfB’s vice president, Daniel Wittke, in response to our recent inquiry. “It’s an adventure. The team has been built up superbly over the years. Let’s go on this adventure,” Wittke said, sounding both hopeful and bold during the forecast discussion.
Anyone who has observed the board’s work in recent years knows that these aren’t just empty platitudes. The “party dwarves” of yesteryear—who already caused a sensation in Mallorca after their promotion to the Oberliga back then—have transformed themselves in recent years into a serious championship contender in the Lower Rhine region. Seven straight wins speak for themselves. Tied on points with league-leading Germania Ratingen, Schneider’s squad sits in second place. Their sights are clearly set on the fourth-highest league.
But where will they play if they actually achieve promotion? Their home field on Hoffeldstraße is immediately out of the question—Regional League soccer isn’t possible on that small artificial turf field in the middle of a residential neighborhood. In addition to the Stadion am Zoo in Wuppertal—which is considered a stopgap solution and seems to be a done deal as Plan B—Wittke has a completely different plan: “Our biggest goal is to continue playing our home games in Hilden if we’re promoted. Nothing else is more crucial or important should we actually achieve this sporting milestone,” the head of an insurance agency and his team have a clear goal in mind.
“We already conducted a site inspection of the ‘Am Bandsbusch’ facility this week with the local police and the city of Hilden. The facility isn’t yet suitable for the Regionalliga, but we’ll try to separate the visitors’ section with barriers and install a so-called ‘Löwengang’ along the path leading there. Cost estimates have already been obtained,” Wittke said regarding the current plans.
On Friday (March 27, 7:30 p.m.), SV Sonsbeck—another team from the bottom of the standings—will visit Hoffeldstraße. If Ratingen fails to beat Baumberg at the same time, Tim Schneider’s team could already be sitting at the top of the table by the weekend. Things at VfB won’t be as peaceful in the future as they have been in recent years.