After five match days, Germania Ratingen 04/19 is in first place in the Oberliga Niederrhein and also in the Niederrhein Cup round of 16. The boss takes stock.

Karl Weiß, Alfonso del Cueto, Martin Hasenpflug, Peter Radojewski, and Christian Dorda: in 15 years as president of Germania Ratingen 04/19, Jens Stieghorst had very few coaches, which is unusual given the high turnover rate that is common in soccer.

After a year and a half of mediocrity in the Oberliga, Stieghorst has once again taken a new path for the current season—with coach Damian Apfeld. And Ratingen seems to have done everything right.

The 39-year-old A-license holder has been involved with the squad since May and has put together a very decent team—including his former protégés such as Yannik Geisler, Giuliano Zimmerling, and Umut Yildiz. “Yes, it was very important that Damian was able to help build the squad. We are extremely satisfied with his work. He is highly skilled and approachable. It’s just a perfect fit,” praises Stieghorst. A glance at the table shows just how well it fits. Five games and ten points are on the credit side for Ratingen – currently putting them in first place in the Oberliga Niederrhein. And on Tuesday evening (September 16, 2025), Ratingen also celebrated a 5-1 victory over Moers-based Landesliga club SV Scherpenberg. The reward: a ticket to the round of 16 in the Niederrhein Cup.

It doesn’t have to be a third division or regional league team. They are welcome to come in the quarterfinals or semifinals.

Jens Stieghorst on the round of 16 draw

“That was a commanding performance. But the opponent also had its chances. Scherpenberg is a good regional league team. But it’s also good for us and the coach to see what we still need to work on. That’s the defense. But we’ll get that sorted too,“ says Stieghorst. Stieghorst doesn’t have a preferred draw for the last 16 of the Lower Rhine Cup, but emphasizes: ”It doesn’t have to be a third division or regional league team. They can come in the quarterfinals or semifinals.“

This coming weekend, the Oberliga continues with a match against TSV Meerbusch, who are second from bottom in the table. Stieghorst’s plan: ”Full throttle again! Our team can do it.”

Many competitors consider Ratingen to be a hot contender for the title. Stieghorst remains calm: “As I said, the last year and a half hasn’t been good. That’s why we’re not getting carried away after five match days. We’re staying humble. And clubs like Schonnebeck and Uerdingen also have very good teams.”