TuS Haltern is facing its second relegation in a short space of time. The club is in 15th place in Westfalenliga 1 and the gap to the top is widening.

TuS Haltern is really up to its neck in water. The club from Haltern am See is threatened with relegation for the second time in the last three years. It was only in the 21/22 season that the traditional club was relegated from the Oberliga Westfalen. The following year, they narrowly escaped relegation to the Landesliga.

This season, Haltern could once again have to digest the next relegation. The Seestadt club is currently 15th in the table – a direct relegation spot. They are already seven points away from the drop zone.

Haltern are following in the footsteps of Athletic Bilbao, as they have set themselves the goal of bringing in more players from their own region. That could now be punished again. Possibly also a reason for the renewed misery?

Alexander Zerche, head coach at TuS Haltern, refutes this assumption somewhat: “Basically, I have to say that I’m a fan of the approach of offering players from our own ranks a perspective in senior soccer. It should also be noted that not all of the boys come from Haltern. This Bilbao approach was briefly mentioned once, but is not explicitly and stubbornly pursued.”

Incidentally, the Seestadt club also failed to get off to a good start after the winter break. Haltern lost 2:1 against league leaders SC Verl II, albeit not without a fight. Next up is the absolute basement duel. Hammer SpVg currently hold the red lantern in their hands and invite the Zerche team to a relegation dance.

A clear case of a do-or-die game. There is a lot at stake. Accordingly, the tension ahead of Sunday (3 p.m.) is huge: “It’s a six-point game. There’s no other way to put it. We have to turn things around and have the right mindset for the weekend. A win like that could give us a boost for the future. “

It’s definitely getting tight with the mission to stay in the league. However, Zerche, who has been coach of TuS Haltern since the new year, is positive: “You can feel the team’s will. The quality is also good enough to avoid relegation.”

Zerche continued: “We’ve also gained the necessary self-confidence in preparation. We still need to make the necessary adjustments and then I’m optimistic that we’ll hold on to the league in the end. “