In a very special way, the silence above the stands with the Fortuna Düsseldorf supporters was even more intense than the cries of joy that rang out from the corner with the away fans after Takashi Uchino’s final penalty flew over the crossbar of the Bochum goal.
For days, the Düsseldorf team had been able to indulge in sweet thoughts of promotion to the Bundesliga with good arguments, but now they were staring at the pitch, paralyzed by a mixture of horror and disbelief, because the unimaginable had happened.
Even more powerful than the 3-0 lead from the first leg against VfL Bochum was clearly the madness of this opponent from Castroper Strasse, who led 3-0 away after 120 minutes in the second leg, then won 6-5 on penalties and is now looking forward to a fourth year in the Bundesliga. “At VfL, nothing seems to happen without drama,” said defender Noah Loosli, who was not just referring to the course of this crazy relegation duel.
Unlucky Fortunes: promotion still messed upReuters
Anyone who only glances at this Bochum team might be a little bored after the club’s three years in the Bundesliga; Herbert Grönemeyer’s “Deep in the West” romanticism has lost its appeal, the style of play is familiar, as is the intensity of the old-fashioned stadium. Perhaps Fortuna Düsseldorf would have been a more attractive addition to the Bundesliga, simply because this traditional club, with its chairman Klaus Allofs, would have brought the spirit of something new.
“This club is killing you”
However, the VfL Bochum of spring 2024 embodies the madness of football like no other club in the Bundesliga. “This club wears you out,” said Mayor Thomas Eiskirch, SPD, that evening, and hardly anyone among the many thousands of Bochum residents who celebrated that night in the Bermuda Triangle bar district will want to contradict him.
When VfL was promoted three years ago, it was a very down-to-earth football company that promoted economic common sense and promoted down-to-earth “Castroper street football”. VfL profiled itself as an alternative to the glamour of commercialism. But Castroper Straße has now also become a place of oddities. “We saw a lot of what we had to endure and experience all season reflected in this relegation match,” said sporting director Marc Lettau. Because nobody rides the tightrope between extremes more wildly than VfL.
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The team seemed almost safe several times in the past few weeks, and after the first leg against Fortuna it was practically certain that they would be relegated. Now the club has pulled off a small miracle. This was accompanied by all sorts of bizarre circumstances: there were periods of success in which relegation seemed almost unimaginable, the spectacular 3-2 win against Bayern Munich, a controversial separation from coach Thomas Letsch, and a game in Cologne that was lost at the start of injury time despite being 1-0 up. And before the relegation, the legendary goalkeeper Manuel Riemann was suspended, probably because he had a heated argument with some of his teammates.
“The season was complicated”
In recent days, speculation about dismissals in the sporting management disrupted preparations for the relegation play-offs; not even 1. FC Cologne has produced so much chaotic news. “The season was complicated,” said sports director Patrick Fabian, adding that this final twist in the relegation play-offs “put the icing on the cake.” But the official also made a very clear demand: “We must not make the mistake of constantly letting our emotions guide us. I would have wanted that before, but unfortunately it didn’t happen.” The turmoil of the past few months was “not Bochum-like.” It is unclear what concrete consequences this final turn for the better will have.
In the event of relegation, a split between the sporting management team around Lettau and Fabian would have been likely. Now, when asked about his future, Lettau replied: “I would be surprised if I didn’t stay.” However, parts of the team will definitely leave the club. Patrick Osterhage is moving to Freiburg, Kevin Stöger, who was once again fabulous this evening, is likely to have many offers, as is left-back Bernardo. Interim coach Heiko Butscher is also unlikely to stay, a return for Manuel Riemann is practically out of the question, and Andreas Luthe, the second goalkeeper, is ending his career. VfL Bochum will have to reinvent itself before its fourth season in the Bundesliga, although this project seems considerably easier than dealing with relegation, which would have required a fresh start at all levels.
