In the Lower Rhine District League Group 5, Duisburger FV 08 tops the table. But the teams chasing them, such as SV Genc Osman Duisburg, are ready to make another push.
SV Genc Osman Duisburg has caught the scent of success. Currently in third place, they trail the leader by just seven points.
On January 2, 2026, Coach Hakan Katircioglu will call his players back to action. Forecasting spoke with the coach, who took over from Yalcin Nezir early in the season.
Hakan Katircioglu, how would you assess your team’s first half of the season?
I can only evaluate the period since I took over the team, which was on Matchday 5 with four points. I can’t comment on what came before. We got off to a bit of a bumpy start; it took some time before I could analyze what the team was missing, where its weaknesses and strengths lie, and what qualities each player possesses. I noticed early on that the team lacked pace, transition play, and, above all, clinical finishing. We then worked on this consistently in every training session. On top of that, I’ve drilled it into the team over and over—and continue to do so—that we can only bring our strengths to the field as a unit. Of course, as a coach, you also need to have a good sense of the situation and be able to assess where the players can be deployed best to benefit the team the most. In conclusion, we can say that we at least identified everything correctly in the first half of the season and executed it superbly, as we went from having the league’s worst offense—with four points and a 5-5 goal difference—to becoming a promotion contender with the best offense and second-best defense, boasting 36 points and a 57-24 goal difference.
What has been the highlight for you so far?
There were two! Undoubtedly our best game and an amazing second half in Oberhausen against SC 1920. And our absolutely strong comeback after falling behind 0-2 against VfB Homberg II.
And what was the biggest negative experience?
Without a doubt: Our 1-5 home loss to Neukirchen-Vluyn, which still really bugs me. Unfortunately, I’d only had the team in training for two weeks at that point and didn’t yet know the individual strengths and character of each player. Things look very different now—even after falling behind 0–2, the players no longer let their heads drop or lose their composure and discipline on the field, and we all believe we can turn the game around until the final whistle.
Will there be changes to the roster during the winter break?
Yes, there will be. We’ve parted ways with a few players and have already signed some new ones who fit in character-wise, will definitely help us move forward, and also believe in and live by the club’s philosophy.
What is your goal for the rest of the season?
We’re up there now and have earned the necessary respect in the league. So we’ll give it our all until the very end, try to stay at the top, and then see what the final result is.
