Essen B-league club TuS Helene just missed promotion to Kreisliga A by one point. This is to be made up for in the 2023/2024 season.

A few weeks ago, Fatihspor Essen and FC Karnap were able to celebrate their promotion to the Kreisliga A. TuS Helene, the hometown club of legendary coach Otto Rehhagel, was left behind. In the end, the Altenessen team was only one point behind FC Karnap.

“Of course it was all very bitter for us. But we shook ourselves for a moment and then tackled the new season. We didn’t lose any key players. On the contrary, our young team was strengthened with some experienced players who fit in well with us in terms of football and character. We will attack again with an even stronger team than in the previous season and aim for promotion to Kreisliga-A. There can be no other goal,” emphasises Ali Erdogan, coach of TuS Helene.

With Ferhat Dogan, Erdogan also has reinforcements in the coaching team. “I am pleased that this has worked out. The exchange with Ferhat is very pleasant and goal-promoting. He has already been working in the background in the last weeks and months and has helped us a lot,” says Erdogan.

In addition to Dogan, the Altenessen team has also lured 13 new players to Bäuminghausstraße. Florian Sonnleitner (FC Stoppenberg), Ahmad Hammadi, Rebin Akrai, Dejan Ilievski (all FC Saloniki Essen), Wissam Younis (Al-Arz Lebanon Essen), Reza Celik (SV Leithe), Nesim Arslan, Ferhat Erdal, Dogan Arslan (all SV Mesopotamia), Nurl Nuri (Hagen), Marvin Hilgeland (reactivated, most recently without a club) and Mohamad Fakhro (Hansa Scholven) are to help TuS Helene in their quest for promotion to Kreisliga A in 2023/2024.

Outside the sporting arena, too, things seem to be moving in the right direction at the traditional Altenessen club of 1928. “We have also gained some new sponsors. If we were now to follow this up with promotion to the A district league, TuS Helene would be on the right track. That must be our goal,” says Erdogan