VfL Bochum explained

Clubname:VfL Bochum
Fullname:Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft e. V.
Nickname:Die Unabsteigbaren (The Undescendables)
Die Blauen (The Blues)
Ground:Vonovia-Ruhrstadion
Capacity:27,599
Chrtitle:Chairman
Chairman:Hans-Peter Villis
Manager:Peter Zeidler
Website:http://www.vfl-bochum.de
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Current:2024–25 VfL Bochum season

Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as VfL Bochum (pronounced as /de/), 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. On December 1851, however, the club was forcibly dissolved and banned by the Prussian provincial administration then reestablished on 19 June 1860 as the bochum gymnastics club. 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]

The Nazi regime forced Bochumer Turnverein 1848 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

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 won 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.

In the 2023–24 season, the club was in a relegation playoff with Fortuna Düsseldorf, however won 6–5 on penalties, after initially being 3–0 down in the first leg.[4]

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

See also: List of VfL Bochum players.

Notable players

Honours

Domestic

Cup

Regional

Youth

2004, 2005

Individual

1985–86 (Stefan Kuntz, 22 goals), 2002–03 (Thomas Christiansen, 21 goals (w/Giovane Élber)), 2006–07 (Theofanis Gekas, 20 goals)

League results

ImageSize = width:1600 height:60PlotArea = left:10 right:10 bottom:30 top:10TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyyDateFormat = dd/mm/yyyyPeriod = from:01/07/1938 till:01/07/2025ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:1940Colors = id:1st value:rgb(0.5,0.8,0.5) id:2nd value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.3) id:3rd value:rgb(0.8,0.6,0.6)

PlotData= bar:Position width:15 color:white align:center from:01/07/1938 till:01/07/1939 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1939 till:01/07/1940 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1940 till:01/07/1941 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/1941 till:01/07/1942 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1942 till:01/07/1943 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1943 till:01/07/1944 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/1944 till:01/07/1945 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1945 till:01/07/1946 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/1946 till:01/07/1947 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/1947 till:01/07/1948 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/1948 till:01/07/1949 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1949 till:01/07/1950 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/1950 till:01/07/1951 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/1951 till:01/07/1952 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1952 till:01/07/1953 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1953 till:01/07/1954 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/1954 till:01/07/1955 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/1955 till:01/07/1956 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1956 till:01/07/1957 shift:(0,-4) text:10 from:01/07/1957 till:01/07/1958 shift:(0,-4) text:14 from:01/07/1958 till:01/07/1959 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1959 till:01/07/1960 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/1960 till:01/07/1961 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/1961 till:01/07/1962 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1962 till:01/07/1963 shift:(0,-4) text:14 from:01/07/1963 till:01/07/1964 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1964 till:01/07/1965 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1965 till:01/07/1966 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/1966 till:01/07/1967 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1967 till:01/07/1968 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1968 till:01/07/1969 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1969 till:01/07/1970 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1970 till:01/07/1971 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1971 till:01/07/1972 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/1972 till:01/07/1973 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/1973 till:01/07/1974 shift:(0,-4) text:14 from:01/07/1974 till:01/07/1975 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/1975 till:01/07/1976 shift:(0,-4) text:14 from:01/07/1976 till:01/07/1977 shift:(0,-4) text:15 from:01/07/1977 till:01/07/1978 shift:(0,-4) text:14 from:01/07/1978 till:01/07/1979 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/1979 till:01/07/1980 shift:(0,-4) text:10 from:01/07/1980 till:01/07/1981 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/1981 till:01/07/1982 shift:(0,-4) text:10 from:01/07/1982 till:01/07/1983 shift:(0,-4) text:13 from:01/07/1983 till:01/07/1984 shift:(0,-4) text:15 from:01/07/1984 till:01/07/1985 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/1985 till:01/07/1986 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/1986 till:01/07/1987 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/1987 till:01/07/1988 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/1988 till:01/07/1989 shift:(0,-4) text:15 from:01/07/1989 till:01/07/1990 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/1990 till:01/07/1991 shift:(0,-4) text:14 from:01/07/1991 till:01/07/1992 shift:(0,-4) text:15 from:01/07/1992 till:01/07/1993 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/1993 till:01/07/1994 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1994 till:01/07/1995 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/1995 till:01/07/1996 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1996 till:01/07/1997 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1997 till:01/07/1998 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/1998 till:01/07/1999 shift:(0,-4) text:17 from:01/07/1999 till:01/07/2000 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2000 till:01/07/2001 shift:(0,-4) text:18 from:01/07/2001 till:01/07/2002 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2002 till:01/07/2003 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/2003 till:01/07/2004 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/2004 till:01/07/2005 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/2005 till:01/07/2006 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2006 till:01/07/2007 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/2007 till:01/07/2008 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/2008 till:01/07/2009 shift:(0,-4) text:14 from:01/07/2009 till:01/07/2010 shift:(0,-4) text:17 from:01/07/2010 till:01/07/2011 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2011 till:01/07/2012 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/2012 till:01/07/2013 shift:(0,-4) text:14 from:01/07/2013 till:01/07/2014 shift:(0,-4) text:15 from:01/07/2014 till:01/07/2015 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/2015 till:01/07/2016 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/2016 till:01/07/2017 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/2017 till:01/07/2018 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/2018 till:01/07/2019 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/2019 till:01/07/2020 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/2020 till:01/07/2021 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2021 till:01/07/2022 shift:(0,-4) text:13 from:01/07/2022 till:01/07/2023 shift:(0,-4) text:14 from:01/07/2023 till:01/07/2024 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/2024 till:01/07/2025 shift:(0,-4) text:

from:01/07/1938 till:01/07/1945 color:1st shift:(0,13) text: "Gauliga Westfalen" from:01/07/1945 till:01/07/1947 color:1st shift:(0,13) text: "LLW" from:01/07/1947 till:01/07/1949 color:2nd shift:(0,13) text: "LLW" from:01/07/1949 till:01/07/1953 color:2nd shift:(0,13) text: "2. OL West" from:01/07/1953 till:01/07/1955 color:1st shift:(0,13) text: "OLW" from:01/07/1955 till:01/07/1956 color:2nd shift:(0,13) text: "2OLW" from:01/07/1956 till:01/07/1961 color:1st shift:(0,13) text: "OL West" from:01/07/1961 till:01/07/1963 color:2nd shift:(0,13) text: "2OLW" from:01/07/1963 till:01/07/1965 color:3rd shift:(0,13) text: "VLW" from:01/07/1965 till:01/07/1971 color:2nd shift:(0,13) text: "Regionalliga West" from:01/07/1971 till:01/07/1993 color:1st shift:(0,13) text: "Bundesliga" from:01/07/1993 till:01/07/1994 color:2nd shift:(0,13) text: "2.BL" from:01/07/1994 till:01/07/1995 color:1st shift:(0,13) text: "BL" from:01/07/1995 till:01/07/1996 color:2nd shift:(0,13) text: "2.BL" from:01/07/1994 till:01/07/1995 color:1st shift:(0,13) text: "BL" from:01/07/1996 till:01/07/1999 color:1st shift:(0,13) text: "Bundesliga" from:01/07/1999 till:01/07/2000 color:2nd shift:(0,13) text: "2.BL" from:01/07/2000 till:01/07/2001 color:1st shift:(0,13) text: "BL" from:01/07/2001 till:01/07/2002 color:2nd shift:(0,13) text: "2.BL" from:01/07/2002 till:01/07/2005 color:1st shift:(0,13) text: "Bundesliga" from:01/07/2005 till:01/07/2006 color:2nd shift:(0,13) text: "2.BL" from:01/07/2006 till:01/07/2010 color:1st shift:(0,13) text: "Bundesliga" from:01/07/2010 till:01/07/2021 color:2nd shift:(0,13) text: "2.BL" from:01/07/2021 till:01/07/2025 color:1st shift:(0,13) text: "Bundesliga"

European record

CompetitionPldWDLGFGA
UEFA Cup82331514
UEFA Intertoto Cup28108103733
Total361211135247

VfL Bochum II

See main article: 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]

Coaches

Current staff

NamePosition
Peter ZeidlerManager
Maxime AntonilliAssistant manager
Murat UralFirst-team coach
Sebastian BaumgartnerGoalkeeping coach
Lucas KernFitness coach
Marius KirmseFitness coach
Benedikt OppenhäuserRehab coach

Coaches

YearsCoach
1938–?Georg Hochgesang
1953–1956Emil Melcher
1956–1960Herbert Widmayer
1960–1961Fritz Silken
1961–1963Hermann Lindemann
1963–1967Hubert Schieth
1967–1972Hermann Eppenhoff
1972–1979Heinz Höher
1979–1981Helmuth Johannsen
1981–1986Rolf Schafstall
1986–1988Hermann Gerland
1988–1989Franz-Josef Tenhagen
1989–1991Reinhard Saftig
1991Rolf Schafstall (caretaker)
1991–1992Holger Osieck
1992–1995Jürgen Gelsdorf
1995–1999Klaus Toppmöller
1999Ernst Middendorp
1999Bernard Dietz (caretaker)
2000–2001Ralf Zumdick
2001Rolf Schafstall (caretaker)
2001Bernard Dietz
2001–2005Peter Neururer
2005–2009Marcel Koller
2009Frank Heinemann (caretaker)
2009–2010Heiko Herrlich
2010Dariusz Wosz (caretaker)
2010–2011Friedhelm Funkel
2011–2012Andreas Bergmann
2012–2013Karsten Neitzel (caretaker)
2013–2014Peter Neururer
2014Frank Heinemann (caretaker)
2014–2017Gertjan Verbeek
2017Ismail Atalan
2017–2018Jens Rasiejewski (caretaker)
2018Heiko Butscher (caretaker)
2018–2019Robin Dutt
2019Heiko Butscher (caretaker)
2019–2022Thomas Reis
2022Heiko Butscher (caretaker)
2022–2024Thomas Letsch

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Historie . de . VfL Bochum official website . VfL Bochum . 13 April 2010 . 1 November 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121101203304/http://www.vflbochum1848.de/contents/hist.html . dead .
  2. Web site: Historie / Chronologie . VfL Bochum official website (soccer department) . VfL Bochum . de . 13 April 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120819101357/http://www.vfl-bochum.de/ . 19 August 2012 . dead .
  3. Grüne, Hardy (2001). Vereinslexikon. Kassel: AGON Sportverlag
  4. Web site: 28 May 2024. VfL Bochum's miraculous comeback secures Bundesliga stay. sabcsport.com. 1 June 2024.
  5. Web site: rewirpowerSTADION Daten & Fakten . rewirpowerSTADION data & facts . de . VfL Bochum . 31 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110428215310/http://www.vfl-bochum.de/site/_rewirpowerstadion/_rewirpowerstadion/rewirpowerstadionp.htm . 28 April 2011 . dead .

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