Regionalliga leaders 1. FC Bocholt have published their winter schedule. One attacking player will not be able to play for the next few months due to injury.

When the second half of the Regionalliga West season starts at the beginning of February, 1. FC Bocholt will suddenly be the hunted. After the surprise team’s mega first half of the season, coach Dietmar Hirsch’s side will go into the new year as league leaders and will try to defend their promotion place ahead of the chasing pack led by Alemannia Aachen.

It is now also clear how Bocholt intend to prepare for this difficult task. They will attend a training camp in January, escape the unpleasant weather conditions on the Lower Rhine and travel to Turkey for a week (January 7-14).

Hirsch will invite his team back onto the pitch on January 4, with the first test match scheduled for the following day. It will be against northern regional league side SV Meppen (January 5, 5 p.m.).

At the training camp, Bocholt will play tests against third division side Viktoria Köln (January 9) and Belgian first division side KVC Westerlo (January 12). After their return, FCB will have two more preparation matches: SV Sonsbeck (January 20, 2:00 p.m.) and SV Straelen (January 27, 2:00 p.m.) against two Oberliga clubs.

The clash with Straelen is the dress rehearsal for the restart of the regional league. On Saturday, February 3 (2 p.m.), the U21s of 1. FC Köln will come to the Hünting. “The boys have played a really great season so far, but it’s been very exhausting. That’s why we’re glad to be able to take a breather until the beginning of January. Then we’ll spend five weeks preparing intensively for the rest of the season and will be eager to start the remaining 15 games,” said successful coach Hirsch, explaining the winter schedule.

Bitter news for Bocholt: They will have to do without Dildar Atmaca during the preparations and the first few weeks of the rest of the series. The winger underwent surgery on Wednesday on his shoulder, which he had already dislocated several times during the season. The club expects him to be out for around three months