Dhat’s it for Thomas Reis at VfL Bochum. The successful coach of recent years has to leave the Revierklub after the sixth matchday. Recently there had been a lot of unrest about the coach. First there is an interim solution.
VfL Bochum has separated from coach Thomas Reis. After six defeats in a row at the start of the Bundesliga season, the 48-year-old is no longer responsible for the Revierklub team with immediate effect. The former professional Heiko Butscher is to take over on an interim basis. The 42-year-old was last in charge of the VfL U19s.
Flirt with Schalke 04
“We urgently need to find solutions to improve the very difficult sporting situation and at the same time ignore issues that have a negative impact on it,” said sports director Patrick Fabian on Monday. “Heiko Butscher has agreed to take over the team on an interim basis until further notice. At the same time, we are working on finding a successor for the head coach position.”
Not only the sporting crisis had recently depressed the mood at the traditional club, which was still strong last season. Bochum and Reis had not been able to agree on an extension of the coach’s contract, which expires in 2023. In addition, rumors and media reports increased the unrest that Reis was considering a move to Ruhr area rivals FC Schalke 04 before the season. Reis had denied this before the 3-1 defeat at Schalke on Saturday evening.
Guided the club to the premier league
VfL then struggled with the decision for a long time. “It should be clear to everyone that this decision is not easy for us. Thomas Reis has a connection to the club and the city that goes beyond the successful past three years,” Fabian continued. Reis had held various coaching positions at Bochum for many years before taking over the professional team as head coach in 2019.
Reis stabilized the club in the second Bundesliga and rose with Bochum in 2021. VfL, considered by many experts to be sure of relegation, played a strong season and surprised with victories against Bayern Munich and in Dortmund.
Reis had repeatedly emphasized how difficult the second year after promotion would be. The financially not exactly luxuriously equipped VfL invested the smallest amount of all 18 first division clubs in transfers. The team has not yet been able to absorb the departures of several key players. Now a new coach should do it better on Castroper Straße. Next Sunday there is a home game against 1. FC Köln.
