The news that successful coach Tim Schneider’s contract with VfB Hilden would not be renewed has caused quite a stir. Now his successor has been named.
These are turbulent 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 the officials at 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 sporting in nature and do not belong in the public domain,” said Daniel Wittke, offering a clear stance on the coaching situation at Hoffeldstraße. It is not just long-time VfB fans who are likely to be surprised by this move. Schneider enjoys the highest regard both within the team and throughout the club. The team’s results, particularly this season, prove him right.
Now, his 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. Until 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. In the event of promotion, the squad will definitely need further tweaking. Here, 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 tranquil Hilden, both on the field and behind the scenes. A few weeks ago, the reward came in the form of a clear signal to the team. “Yes, we will submit our application for the Regionalliga West on time by the end of the month,” confirmed VfB’s vice president, Daniel Wittke, in response to our recent inquiry. “It’s a trip. The team has been built up superbly over the years. Let’s go on this trip,” 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 wins in a row speak for themselves. Tied on points with league leaders Germania Ratingen, Schneider’s charges sit in second place. The fourth-highest league is clearly in their sights.
But where will they play if promotion actually happens? Their home ground on Hoffeldstraße is out of the question; in the middle of a residential neighborhood, Regionalliga soccer isn’t possible on the small artificial turf field. In addition to the stadium at the 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 do get promoted. Nothing else is more crucial or important should we actually succeed in this sporting endeavor,“ the head of an insurance agency and his team have a clear goal in mind.
”We already conducted an 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 table, will visit Hoffeldstraße. If Ratingen fails to beat Baumberg at the same time, Tim Schneider’s team could be sitting atop the standings as early as this weekend. Things at VfB won’t be as peaceful in the future as they have been in recent years.