All three would like to be. But nobody has them…
As the only third division team. Prussia plays without the “1”.
It is neither unusual nor surprising that promoted Münster has registered three goalkeepers for the game: Maximilian Schulze Niehues (34), Bayern loanee Johannes Schenk (20) and Roman Schabbing (21/from the U23). What is interesting, however – and unlike all of the competitors – is that none of this trio claims the number 1 jersey.
And each of them has a different reason for it…
► Schulze Niehues, regular keeper and longest-serving Eagle Bearer professional, swears by the “35”. When he returned to his home club in 2011 after a three-year spell at Fortuna Düsseldorf II, he was assigned this number. Because she was still free at the time. The Warendorf native told BILD: “I quickly got used to it and learned to appreciate it long ago.” And further: “No matter what happens, I’ll stick with this number in the future and don’t want to change it at all.”
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It also has a little to do with superstition. The new dad of a little daughter discovered that somehow in Prussia there wasn’t a big blessing on the “1”. The “loyal” Max, whose contract runs until 2024, explains: “Almost all the goalkeepers they took over from us were gone after just one season.
Like Niklas Lomb (30/now Bayer Leverkusen), Patrick Drewes (30/Karlsuher SC), Nils Körber (26/Hansa Rostock) or most recently Tom Müller (25/SC Verl). None of them were able to permanently displace the long Schulze Niehues (1.92 m) between the posts, who was always ahead in the end with his “35”.
After Schulze Niehues had to miss three games in the last two weeks – in Dresden (0:1), in the Association Cup against Disteln (7:1) and at Jahn Regensburg (1:2) – with stomach and intestinal problems, he has been out of action since Back in team training on Tuesday. If there is no further setback, he will return to the “Black-White-Greens” box on Sunday (November 5th) in the difficult home game against third-placed Ulm (4:30 p.m.).
Bayern loanee Johannes Schenk (M.) has grabbed the jersey with the number 40 from the Prussians
Photo: Marcel Engelbrecht/firo Sportphoto
► Young talent “Jojo” Schenk, sent to Hammer Strasse for a season by German record champions Bayern Munich, loves his “40”. And he doesn’t just have it on his back, because he was the penultimate new signing – only winger Ogechika “Ogi” Heil (23/from HSV) arrived a little later – with the Prussians. Schenk: “I could have gotten the A straight away after Tom Müller moved to SC Verl. But I rejected it, I would much rather have the 40th because it has a special meaning for me.”
A very private one, in fact. “My family’s lucky number is actually 8,” he says, “but that’s pretty unsuitable for a goalkeeper. Since there are five of us at home, I came up with the bill 5×8. Which just adds up to 40. So I always have my loved ones with me somehow.”
► Finally, Schabbing (21), who came from MSV Duisburg in 2022 and mainly collects match practice in the major league with the U23s, is the third snapper for the professionals. Always sits there with the 31 on the bench when Schulze Niehues or Schenk are unavailable. Since the Schlaks (1.96 m/contract until 2024) from Ahaus constantly switches back and forth between the first and second teams, the “1” was not a serious issue for him from the start. Even if it is of course his sporting ambition to take on this role on the pitch at some point in the long term – wherever.
Prussia’s third professional keeper Roman Schabbing (l.) is listed with the “31”.
Photo: Marcel Engelbrecht/firo Sportphoto
Three strong goalkeepers, but none of them want the number 1 jersey. Actually a unique selling point for the Prussians in League 3.
The competitors, on the other hand, have it assigned as follows. Jahn Regensburg: Felix Gebhard (21); Dynamo Dresden: Stefan Drljaca (24); SSV Ulm: Lorenz Otto (22); Erzgebirge Aue: Martin Männel (35); Rot-Weiss Essen: Jakob Golz (25); Viktoria Cologne: Ben Voll (22); SV Sandhausen: Nikolai Rehnen (26); Borussia Dortmund II: Marian Kirsch (19); SC Verl: Luca Unbehaun (22); SpVgg. Unterhaching: Rene Vollath (33); Arminia Bielefeld: Jonas Kersken (23); FC Ingolstadt: Marius Funk (27); 1860 Munich: Marco Hiller (26); 1. FC Saarbrücken: Tim Schreiber (21); VfB Lübeck: Philipp Klewin (30); Waldhof Mannheim: Jan-Christoph Bartels (24); Hallescher FC: Sven Müller (27); SC Freiburg II: Benjamin Uphoff (30); MSV Duisburg: Vincent Müller (23).
Prussia captain Thomas Kok was shown the first red card of his professional career by referee Daniel Barnitzki in Regensburg because of the emergency brake
Photo: Marcel Engelbrecht/firo Sportphoto
►► Meanwhile, the sports court of the German Football Association (DFB) imposed a ban for two championship games on Tuesday afternoon – as expected – against Prussia captain Thomas Kok (25). The Dutchman stopped Jahn attacker Agyemang Diawusie (25) with an emergency brake in the 2-1 draw in Regensburg on Saturday, but was sent off with a red card in the 70th minute by referee Daniel Barnitzki (27/Erfurt).
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