The third division team Waldhof Mannheim has officially announced a change in the coaching position: Marco Antwerpen is taking over for Rüdiger Rehm.
SV Waldhof Mannheim has relieved coach Rüdiger Rehm of his duties. Marco Antwerp will take his place in the coaching bench in the future. The club announced this on Wednesday evening.
Separation despite Liberation strike against Halle
The 45-year-old Rehm was appointed head coach of Mannheim last June, and after 23 points from 23 games, the supervisory board has now pulled the ripcord. In the current season, the Waldhof is in 17th place and therefore in the relegation zone. “We have come to the conclusion that a new impulse and the associated change in the coaching position are necessary in order to achieve our goal of staying in the league,” said Christian Beetz, chairman of the supervisory board of SV Waldhof Mannheim 07 Spielbetriebs GmbH.
The timing of the change is surprising despite twelve defeats this season. Just last Friday, the Mannheim team won 4-1 at Halleschen FC and scored a breakthrough in the fight to stay in the league.
Rehm is replaced by a coach with experience in the 3rd league
Marko Antwerp, who is taking over as head coach with immediate effect, is an old acquaintance in the 3rd division. In total, he was on the sidelines in 132 games in League Three, most recently in the 2021/2022 season at 1. FC Kaiserslautern. With the Lauterers, the arch-rivals of Waldhof Mannheim, Antwerp achieved relegation for promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga, but was then surprisingly dismissed.
“Marco has always shown in his past positions that he can have a big influence on a team in a short time,” said Beetz about the commitment. On Sunday (4:30 p.m.) Antwerp will make its debut on the sidelines against Preußen Münster.
