VfL Bochum
Full nameVerein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft e. V.
Nickname(s)Die Unabsteigbaren (The Undescendables)
Die Blauen (The Blues)
Founded26 July 1848 (1848-07-26)
GroundVonovia-Ruhrstadion
Capacity27,599
ChairmanHans-Peter Villis
Head coachThomas Letsch
LeagueBundesliga
2022–23Bundesliga, 14th of 18
WebsiteClub website

Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as VfL Bochum (German pronunciation: [faʊ̯ʔɛfˌʔɛl ˈboːxʊm] ) or simply Bochum, is a German professional association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia. They currently play in the Bundesliga, top-flight of German club football.

History

Founding to World War II

VfL Bochum is one of the oldest sports organizations in the world, claiming an origin date of 26 July 1848 when an article in the Märkischer Sprecher – a local newspaper – called for the creation of a gymnastics club. The Turnverein zu Bochum was then formally established on 18 February 1849. The club was banned on 28 December 1852 for political reasons and then reestablished on 19 June 1860. The club was reorganized in May 1904 as Turnverein zu Bochum, gegründet 1848 and formed a football department on 31 January 1911. On 1 April 1919, the club merged with Spiel und Sport 08 Bochum to form Turn- und Sportverein Bochum 1848. On 1 February 1924, the two clubs from the earlier merger split into the Bochumer Turnverein 1848 (gymnastics department) and Turn- und Sportverein Bochum 1908 (football, track and field, handball, hockey and tennis departments).[1]

Bochumer Turnverein 1848 was forced by the Nazi regime to merge with Turn- und Sport Bochum 1908 and Sportverein Germania Vorwärts Bochum 1906 into the current-day club VfL Bochum on 14 April 1938. After the merger, VfL Bochum continued to compete in the top flight as part of the Gauliga Westfalen.[1][2][3]

As World War II progressed, play throughout Germany became increasingly difficult due to player shortages, travel problems and damage to football fields from Allied bombing raids. VfL became part of the wartime side Kriegsspielgemeinschaft VfL 1848/Preußen Bochum alongside Preußen 07 Bochum before re-emerging as a separate side again after the war. Although they fielded competitive sides, they had the misfortune of playing in the same division as Schalke 04, which was the dominant team of the era. VfL's best result was therefore a distant second place in 1938–39.

Postwar and entry to Bundesliga play

Historical chart of VfL Bochum league performance

Following World War II, the football section resumed play as the independent VfL Bochum 1848 and played its first season in the second division 2. Oberliga West in 1949, while Preußen Bochum went on to lower tier amateur level play. VfL captured the division title in 1953 to advance to the Oberliga West for a single season. They repeated their divisional win in 1956 and returned to the top-flight until again being relegated after the 1960–61 season.

With the formation of the Bundesliga, Germany's new professional league, in 1963 VfL found itself in the third tier Amateurliga Westfalen. A first-place result there in 1965 raised them to the Regionalliga West (II), from which they began a steady climb up the league table to the Bundesliga in 1971. During this rise, Bochum also played its way to the final of the 1967–68 DFB-Pokal, where they lost 1–4 to 1. FC Köln.

In spite of being a perennial lower table side, Bochum developed a reputation for tenaciousness on the field in a run of 20 seasons in the top flight. The club made a repeat appearance in the DFB-Pokal final in 1988, losing 0–1 to Eintracht Frankfurt. Relegated after a 16th-place finish in the 1992–93 season, the team has become a classic "yo-yo club", bouncing up and down between the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. The club finished in 5th place in the Bundesliga in 1996–97 and 2003–04, which earned them appearances in the UEFA Cup. In 1997, they advanced to the third round, where they were eliminated by Ajax, and in 2004, they were eliminated early through away goals (0–0 and 1–1) by Standard Liège. In the 2020–21 season, the club won the 2. Bundesliga, earning promotion to the Bundesliga.

Current

Today's sports club has 5,000 members, with the football department accounting for over 2,200 of these. Other sections now part of the association include athletics, badminton, basketball, dance, fencing, gymnastics, handball, field hockey, swimming, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball.

Players

Current squad

As of 9 January 2024[4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Germany GER Manuel Riemann
2 DF Costa Rica CRC Cristian Gamboa
3 DF Brazil BRA Danilo Soares
4 DF Serbia SRB Erhan Mašović
5 DF Brazil BRA Bernardo
6 MF Germany GER Patrick Osterhage
7 MF Austria AUT Kevin Stöger
8 MF France FRA Anthony Losilla (captain)
9 FW Portugal POR Gonçalo Paciência (on loan from Celta Vigo)
10 MF Germany GER Philipp Förster
11 FW Japan JPN Takuma Asano
13 MF Germany GER Lukas Daschner
14 DF Germany GER Tim Oermann
15 DF Germany GER Felix Passlack
18 DF England ENG Jordi Osei-Tutu
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 MF Slovakia SVK Matúš Bero
20 DF Ukraine UKR Ivan Ordets (on loan from Dynamo Moscow)
21 GK Germany GER Michael Esser
22 FW Ghana GHA Christopher Antwi-Adjei
23 GK Germany GER Niclas Thiede
24 MF Germany GER Mats Pannewig
25 DF Egypt EGY Mohammed Tolba
27 MF Germany GER Moritz Kwarteng
29 FW Germany GER Moritz Broschinski
30 DF Germany GER Moritz Römling
31 DF Germany GER Keven Schlotterbeck (on loan from Freiburg)
32 DF Germany GER Maximilian Wittek
33 FW Germany GER Philipp Hofmann
41 DF Switzerland SUI Noah Loosli

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK Germany GER Paul Grave (at Wuppertaler SV until 30 June 2024)
No. Pos. Nation Player
FW Philippines PHI Gerrit Holtmann (at Antalyaspor until 30 June 2024)

Notable players

Honours

Domestic

Cup

Regional

Youth

Individual

League results

Fußball-Bundesliga2. Fußball-BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga2. Fußball-BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga2. Fußball-BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga2. Fußball-BundesligaFußball-BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga2. Fußball-BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga2. Fußball-BundesligaFußball-BundesligaRegionalliga West (1963-74)Verbandsliga Westfalen2nd Oberliga WestOberliga West (1947-63)2nd Oberliga WestOberliga West (1947-63)2nd Oberliga WestLandesliga WestfalenLandesliga WestfalenGauliga Westfalen

European record

CompetitionPldWDLGFGA
UEFA Cup82331514
UEFA Intertoto Cup28108103733
Total361211135247

VfL Bochum II

Stadium

Ruhrstadion (also known as the Vonovia Ruhrstadion under a sponsorship deal) was one of the first modern football-only stadiums in Germany. It was built in the 1970s on the traditional ground of TuS Bochum 08 at the Castroper Straße, north of the city centre.

The fully roofed venue's capacity is 27,599, including standing room for 12,025.[5]

Ruhrstadion

Coaches

Current staff

As of 22 September 2022
Name Position
Thomas Letsch Manager
Frank Heinemann Assistant manager
Jan Fießer Assistant manager
Peter Greiber Goalkeeping coach
Jörn Menger Fitness coach
Stefan Bienioßek Fitness coach

Coaches

Years Coach
1938–? Georg Hochgesang
1953–1956 Emil Melcher
1956–1960 Herbert Widmayer
1960–1961 Fritz Silken
1961–1963 Hermann Lindemann
1963–1967 Hubert Schieth
1967–1972 Hermann Eppenhoff
1972–1979 Heinz Höher
1979–1981 Helmuth Johannsen
1981–1986 Rolf Schafstall
1986–1988 Hermann Gerland
1988–1989 Franz-Josef Tenhagen
1989–1991 Reinhard Saftig
1991 Rolf Schafstall (caretaker)
1991–1992 Holger Osieck
1992–1995 Jürgen Gelsdorf
1995–1999 Klaus Toppmöller
1999 Ernst Middendorp
1999 Bernard Dietz (caretaker)
2000–2001 Ralf Zumdick
2001 Rolf Schafstall (caretaker)
2001 Bernard Dietz
2001–2005 Peter Neururer
2005–2009 Marcel Koller
2009 Frank Heinemann (caretaker)
2009–2010 Heiko Herrlich
2010 Dariusz Wosz (caretaker)
2010–2011 Friedhelm Funkel
2011–2012 Andreas Bergmann
2012–2013 Karsten Neitzel (caretaker)
2013–2014 Peter Neururer
2014 Frank Heinemann (caretaker)
2014–2017 Gertjan Verbeek
2017 Ismail Atalan
2017–2018 Jens Rasiejewski (caretaker)
2018 Heiko Butscher (caretaker)
2018–2019 Robin Dutt
2019 Heiko Butscher (caretaker)
2019–2022 Thomas Reis
2022 Heiko Butscher (caretaker)
2022– Thomas Letsch

References

  1. 1 2 "Historie". VfL Bochum official website (in German). VfL Bochum. Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  2. "Historie / Chronologie". VfL Bochum official website (soccer department) (in German). VfL Bochum. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  3. Grüne, Hardy (2001). Vereinslexikon. Kassel: AGON Sportverlag ISBN 3-89784-147-9
  4. "VfL Bochum  Kader" [VfL Bochum  Squad] (in German). VfL Bochum. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  5. "rewirpowerSTADION Daten & Fakten" [rewirpowerSTADION data & facts] (in German). VfL Bochum. Archived from the original on 28 April 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
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