1. FC Bocholt must look for a new goalscorer. Malek Fakhro will leave the club.

This news hurts all fans of 1. FC Bocholt: Malek Fakhro will no longer be playing for the reigning Regionalliga runners-up in the coming season. The club made the official announcement in a press release on Thursday afternoon.

The 26-year-old attacker informed those responsible at the Hünting that he would not be renewing his contract, which expires at the end of June, in order to join a new club. According to forecasting information – we reported – he is following his coach Dietmar Hirsch to MSV Duisburg.

Fakhro moved to Bocholt from VfB Lübeck on a free transfer in the summer of 2022. His two-year spell at the Hünting was a success story. In the first season, FCB secured promotion to the Regionalliga West and also qualified for the semi-finals of the Lower Rhine Cup. There they lost on penalties to the eventual winners Rot-Weiss Essen.

The second year went even better. Bocholt became the fall champions, played sensationally for promotion for a long time and ultimately secured the runner-up spot. The burly center forward scored 15 goals in both seasons in the regional league, making him 1. FC Bocholt’s top scorer. In total, the Essen native scored 31 times in 69 competitive matches

We fought hard to keep Malek until the very end. We would have gone beyond the pain threshold. But Malek has decided to take on a new challenge, which we naturally accept.

Christopher Schorch

Christopher Schorch, Managing Director of Sport and Organization at 1. FC Bocholt, regrets Malek’s departure: “We fought hard until the end to keep Malek. We would have gone beyond the pain threshold. But Malek has decided to take on a new challenge, which we naturally accept. We wish him all the best in his sporting and personal life and thank him for his tireless efforts in the FC jersey. “