From Rock Bottom to Triumph: A Surprising U-Turn at Rot-Weiss Essen
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Frankly Sharing the Real Deal 🎉 🔵 💔 🌟 💬 📲 📧 🖱️
After the 20th matchday, Rot-Weiss Essen finds itself at the bottom rung. There's hardly any hope left amidst the anger and fear. Coach Uwe Koschinat decides on an extreme measure.
Once upon a time, on May 24, Coach Uwe Koschinat stood defiant before the fans of Rot-Weiss Essen in the Duisburg football stadium, radiating an uncontainable joy that had been building inside him since the beginning of the year. On the incredible journey he'd experienced with RWE - defying all expectations.
Now, he was carried aloft by his players, bathing in the thunderous "Uwe, Uwe" chants. RWE, the most emotional third-division team, concluded this chaotic and extraordinary season with a thrilling victory against their arch-rival MSV in the Niederrhein Cup, qualifying for the DFB-Pokal. It was the second momentous statement the club made that year.
Just seven days earlier, the team that had been condemned to relegation before Christmas miraculously rose from the ashes as the second-best team in the second round. But January 19 changed everything—Rot-Weiss Essen lost to Alemannia Aachen 0:2. The newcomer soared to mid-table, while RWE plummeted to 19th place. The small victories of the past years, the breakthrough, the lofty dreams of returning to the 2nd Bundesliga—they were all shattered. In the most brutal way possible.
"We were utterly pathetic in that game"
Koschinat has processed those unexpected events, distancing himself from the darkness rather than dwelling on it. Over the span of his lengthy tenure as a coach, he's learned to focus on the positive rather than the negative. He sees only what goes right.
And after January 19, there was plenty to see right.
He finds that success is seldom acknowledged. And so, he's made a conscious choice to change that for himself. Currently, he's enjoying a period of contentment in his personal garden, with ample time to reflect positively. This practice, he believes, will carry him much further than constant dwelling on negative occurrences.
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On the evening of January 19, the atmosphere at RWE threatened to turn once more. Against the team, against the coach—against everything. It was Koschinat's third competitive game, and before the winter break, he'd lost one and only drawn another. Koschinat had replaced the unfortunate Christoph Dabrowski. However, some fans still saw him as the cause of the misery. What they all saw, though, was the dreaded 2. Bundesliga. They saw the Regionalliga West, a place they never wanted to be reminded of. They saw small towns and sinking clubs. They saw anything but professional football.
"Why did Koschinat do this in the first place? This torturous ordeal, at this esteemed club that can be so captivating and so self-destructive because it's failed so often. Koschinat remembers his fascination with the Hafenstraße, with RWE. As a coach of Fortuna Köln, he was often at this place deep in the heart of the Ruhr area. He felt the strength that RWE carries. He felt the power that this worn-out, honest club unleashed. He felt it could fit between him, an emotional guy, and Rot-Weiss. He saw the fans who give everything for this club. And he hoped that one day he would lead this club." And it was difficult when he officially took over on December 12. Very difficult indeed.
Koschinat honed his vigilance. He recognized that some players couldn't cope with the pressure at RWE. "The club has an immense force. We felt that in the positive phases, but also in the negative ones. And that force is amplified in those phases." Koschinat benched some players after the Aachen defeat, clarified roles on the field more clearly, and brought in new blood. Above all, Klaus Gjasula. He had only arrived in January, but came with great expectations. Gjasula is a mental boogeyman, a fighter, a two-time fighter. One who fears nothing, always stands his ground. With 17 yellow cards in just 27 games, he holds the record for most cautions in the 1. Bundesliga. In Essen, they adore such personalities. They embody the history of the club, the city, even if they don't come from there. Gjasula was born in Tirana, Albania.
Gjasula Plays, RWE Ascends
A man like Gjasula was what they needed. RWE and Koschinat agreed on that when they explored their collaboration. In the summer of 2024, after a strong season, Koschinat discovered that much had gone awry in Essen. Top players like Felix Götze or Vinko Sapina had moved on. There were changes in the club's leadership structure. The squad was late, too late. Planned performers like Ahmet Arslan struggled to get into the season. A young hope like Tom Moustier—initially long injured (metatarsal fracture)—ran across the field like a wild animal. He lacked an anchor. A Gjasula who had experienced so much.
Gjasula declared himself ready for the battle, proclaiming, "I'm in." The team instantly felt the immeasurable strength of an incredible leader who would soldier on in any circumstance. He didn't perform at his peak in every game, but he made so many players better. Together, they ignited a wildfire. They overcame chaos. Suddenly, the cogs started turning, the team that had previously been spinning wildly. The coach gave the team a new plan. Koschinat believes in maximum stability. "I've had the best experiences with this approach." He introduced a defensive mindset to his team, rebuilt the system, and, for instance, began relying on three physical center backs. "We've completely transformed." While RWE was once a team defined by ball possession and high-risk play during build-up, it has now become an impregnable fortress.
Koschinat Eliminates Risk
"We've worked tirelessly on defensive drills. Over and over, we've put ourselves under stress in training, refining the game between the goalkeeper, last line, full-backs, and central defenders," says Koschinat. He focused on the defensive character, removing risk from the build-up play. In the first half of the season, RWE often undermined itself with reckless errors. Incorporating such radical changes is always a considerable gamble. It has to take root in the team. If there are no successes, support could be lost—or never gained. But RWE emerged victorious against Hannover (5:1) and then triumphed on the Bielefelder Alm, unlike Bundesliga sides Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen, who were defeated by Arminia in the DFB-Pokal. When Ingolstadt was also conquered following a long, grueling defensive stand, the players and fans were confirmed—the Koschinat approach is effective. They embraced it with joy and passion. "Everyone in the team has taken it upon themselves to consistently secure."
The approach that lifted RWE high in the standings, finishing eighth, should not be abandoned. It is Koschinat's conviction. Together with sporting director Marcus Steegmann, he is currently working on the further development of the squad. While the squad will largely remain the same, the coach and functionary have identified a few weaknesses. Koschinat is searching for a powerful striker. Manuel Wintzheimer and Moussa Doumbouya were unable to fill the role due to health issues. With Marek Janssen joining in the summer, a man after Koschinat's heart will arrive—big, precise, and hungrier than ever. But Janssen should not be alone. The coach desires a formidable competitor with the same profile.
What else is on his wishlist: another robust, strong player for the center. Ideally, he should be flexible enough to relieve Gjasula or shore up in the back line. With the 24-year-old Luca Bazzoli from Zweitligist Preußen Münster, he has now found one. Gjasula is 35, and the likelihood of injuries increases. RWE wants to secure itself on the key position with experience and authority. But the most significant challenge might be replacing Julian Eitschberger. The right-back must return to Hertha BSC. "He is an absolute highlight player, destined for a place among the stars," says the RWE coach. Apart from that, it's mainly about depth, backups. The squad should not swell beyond a certain size. "We're already very, very far, have a very good foundation," finds Koschinat.
How does RWE respond to extended setbacks?
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A very good foundation on which to build. But where should the story end? With Arminia Bielefeld, the best team of the 2. Bundesliga, promoted, another heavyweight is leaving the league—Dynamo Dresden. Dreams of the 2. Bundesliga also exist in Essen. They've always existed. Koschinat understands the dream. The 3. Liga is volatile. His former club SV Sandhausen displayed this recently, rising from tenth place on the 11th matchday to the top with 22 points, only to settle with 35 at the end. "It's rare for a team that is touted as the favorite from the start to ascend. The best example is Energie Cottbus this season." The league is reshuffling once more, with six new teams entering—MSV Duisburg among them.
Koschinat remains humble, recognizing that the aspirations of the 2. Bundesliga are an eternal constant for this club. The euphoria is as great as it has been for a long time. "The membership numbers are exploding, people are really behind us." That was unthinkable just a few short weeks ago.
- The employment policy of Rot-Weiss Essen, under the guidance of Coach Uwe Koschinat, underwent significant changes, bringing in players like Klaus Gjasula, who became a pivotal figure in the team's rise.
- During the football season, Rot-Weiss Essen's community policy also experienced a transformation, as the club's membership numbers rose drastically due to the euphoria surrounding the team's improvemenet and their aspirations for the 2. Bundesliga.
