The 28th Essen Indoor City Championship is entering its final phase: the 2024 title winner will be determined next weekend. 16 teams are still fighting for the indoor crown of Essen.
On Saturday, January 20, 2024, 16 Essen amateur soccer teams will battle it out in four groups of four for eight tickets to the final on the following day. The final round constellations have it all.
With the exception of regional league team ESC Rellinghausen, who embarrassed themselves to the bone, all the favorites are still in the game. With the two A-league clubs SV Borbeck and Bader SV as well as the B-league club TuS Helene, three absolute underdogs are also playing.
“That’s really amazing. It makes us very proud, especially as we went into the hall without any great expectations. We just wanted to play our game and have fun. And now it’s really a lot of fun (laughs),” says Ferhat Dogan, who works as a coaching team with Ali Erdogan at the traditional Altenessen club Helene.
The defending champions, Spielvereinigung Schonnebeck, also bring a lot of joy to the Budenzauber fans under the roof of the Am-Hallo-Halle in Stoppenberg. “It’s first class what they deliver. They have two monster blocks that are well-rehearsed and that looks like professional indoor soccer. If you want to win the title, you have to beat Schonnebeck,” says Issam Said, coach of VfB Frohnhausen.
The tournament schedule and all participants at a glance:
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Said, who is one of the few people in amateur soccer in Essen to have won the indoor city championship both as a coach – with VfB Frohnhausen in 2019 – and as a player – with FC Kray in 2011 – also has high hopes for his team. Said: “In the end, of course, we want to win it. That’s why we take part in a tournament like this. Ultimately, it all depends on how we perform on the day. I hope we have a good Saturday and a perfect Sunday.”
Schonnebeck coach Dirk Tönnies thanks Said for his praise, but believes that other teams will also have a say in the title. Tönnies: “I’m going to say for sure: SV Burgaltendorf will definitely be on the podium. I really like them. Vogelheim are also playing a good round and ETB are also getting stronger. I’m sure of that. Of course, we have a great indoor team with two blocks that are fun to watch. We have all the guys who enjoy playing indoors. Let’s see what that will ultimately lead to. “