Regional league leaders 1. FC Bocholt have published their winter schedule. An offensive player will be unable to play in the next few months due to injury.

When the second half of the season in the Regionalliga West 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 team go into the new year as league leaders and will try to defend the promotion spot from the chasing pack led by Alemannia Aachen.

Now it is also clear how the team from Bocholt intends to prepare for this difficult task. They will escape the unpleasant weather conditions at the Lower Rhine and travel to Turkey for a week (January 7 to 14).

On January 4, Hirsch will ask his team to return to the pitch, and the first test match is scheduled for the following day. The team will travel to the northern regional league club SV Meppen (January 5, 5 p.m.).

During the training camp, Bocholt will play tests against third division club Viktoria Cologne (January 9) and Belgian first division club KVC Westerlo (January 12). After their return, FCB have two more preparation games lined up: SV Sonsbeck (January 20, 2 p.m.) and SV Straelen (January 27, 2 p.m.) are both Oberliga teams.

The clash with Straelen is the dress rehearsal for the restart of the Regionalliga. On Saturday, February 3 (2 p.m.), the U21 team of 1. FC Cologne will come to Hünting. “The guys have had a really great season so far, but it’s been very exhausting. That’s why we’re happy to be able to take a breather until the beginning of January. Then we will prepare intensively for the remaining season for five weeks and will be eager to go into the remaining 15 games, “explains successful coach Hirsch the winter schedule.

It’s tough for Bocholt: they have to do without Dildar Atmaca during the preparation and the first few weeks of the rest of the season. The wing speedster had shoulder surgery on Wednesday for a shoulder that he has dislocated several times during the season. The club expects him to be out for around three months.