Before the new regional league season
The regional league can be so atmospheric: SGB captain Patrick Schaaf (left) in the home game against Eintracht Trier
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03.08.2023 / FULDA –
Es promises to be exciting and attractive in the new season of the Southwest Regional Football League. Did the SG Barockstadt Fulda-Lehnerz already feel that in the last round, after which, as a promoted player who earned a veritable name on the German map beyond the regional borders and ended their first season in the country’s fourth-highest division as eleventh in the table – This applies all the more to the upcoming season. The starting shot will be given on Friday evening at the Bieberer Berg: The traditional club Kickers Offenbach, which is widely regarded as the top favourite, will face promoted Stuttgarter in an emotionally charged duel Kickers.
A concentrated piece of tradition left the Regionalliga Südwest after the end of the last season: SSV Ulm became champion and was promoted to the third division – Wormatia Worms, Rot-Weiss Koblenz and Eintracht Trier were relegated to the Oberliga. That the SG Barockstadt collected a whopping 40 points in their debut season was a strong piece. Especially in the preliminary round and in the first three games of the second part of the season, she scored as hardly anyone expected. No question: it provided the baroque city with plenty Publicity.
Back to the current reference. The traditional Hessian clubs Offenbach and Hessen Kassel missed a completely new suit – and are trying to polish up their old glory and do it better from now on. After the last season, OFC ended up in seventh place, KSV Hessen managed to stay up in the league due to great effort in the second half of the season. No wonder neither club managed to win against SGB; the Fulda team scored four points each against OFC and “die Hessen”.
Completely renewed face – numerous new ones in Offenbach and Kassel
Both clubs have now invested a lot – and present themselves with a completely renewed face. The Kickers have a new coach in Christian Neidhardt, their sporting leadership, including the former SG Barockstadt manager Sebastian Möller, has also put their feet on a broader qualitative footing – and committed numerous new players. The fact that it is anything but a sure-fire success for the OFC to return to the third division should not only be due to the strength of the regional league. The 1: 4 damper in the dress rehearsal at third division promoted Preußen Münster was a warning shot.
When does the SGB meet the OFC? Tuesday, August 29, 7 p.m., on the Bieberer Berg in Offenbach.
Likewise, the KSV Hessen would like to build on better times. Believe it or not, he has committed 13 new players – with Tobias Damm at least the coach remains the same. It will be interesting to see how the team from the Auestadion perform. It is not to be expected that KSV will play at the top again straight away – but a place in the stable midfield would not come as a surprise.
When does the SGB meet the KSV Hessen? Saturday, September 9th, 2 p.m., in the Auestadion in Kassel
Of course, other clubs can also be expected at the top. TSV Steinbach Haiger, for example – they also didn’t manage to beat SGB in the last round (0:1 at the glorious start of the season by the team from Fulda, 1:1 in the second leg). Meanwhile, under coach Pascal Bierer, the Mittelhessen have visibly gained stability and they almost jumped on the promotion train just a few weeks ago.
When does the SGB meet Steinbach Haiger? Friday, September 22, 7 p.m. in Haiger
Or the strong U23 team from Bundesliga club Hoffenheim II, the team from the second half of the season. Or the traditional Saarland club FC Homburg. That leaves TSG Balingen football, which has been the secret favorite of the Regionalliga Südwest for some time. So there are plenty of contenders for the top ranks.
When does the SGB meet this trio? Homburg on Saturday, August 26 (second home game), in Hoffenheim on Saturday, October 14 against Balingen Football on Saturday, October 21, at home (every 2 p.m.)
OFC could already bite their teeth at the start of Stuttgarter Kickers
Strong climbers: What applied to the SG Barockstadt in the previous round probably also applies to the Stuttgarter Kickers, TSV Schott-Mainz and TuS Koblenz. The OFC could already bite their teeth at the kickers, the traditional team from Degerloch, at the start of the season on Friday. Schott-Mainz would like to show what he’s made of in the first round of the DFB Cup against Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund – and in the pretty little town of Koblenz on the Rhine, one went and the other came: TuS replaced Rot-Weiss.
We almost forgot a promoted team that could play a similar role to Hoffenheim’s offspring in the last series: Eintracht Frankfurt’s U21s. Anyone who followed the Bundesliga team’s preparatory games could see the playful substance in the Hessenliga champions.
When does the SGB meet the U21 of Eintracht? On Sunday, October 8th, 2 p.m. in the Johannisau
Let’s stay in Frankfurt: We already have the FSV vom Bornheimer Hang on our list. The team played a stable second half of the season – but has now lost some of its core players. Nevertheless: ex-Borussia coach Thomas Brendel did important development and supply work there as a manager.
When does the SGB meet the FSV Frankfurt? On Saturday, November 11, 2 p.m. in the Johannisau
“When I see the Eintracht U21s and the Stuttgarter Kickers,” sighs Barockstadt’s coach Sedat Gören. “A lot has happened and the regional league has become much stronger than last year.” The coach of the Fulda team has an idea of what is to come for SGB: “We also have to be well prepared mentally.” (wk) +++
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