The players danced exuberantly on the pitch, and quite a few sank to their knees - beaming with joy and also a little incredulous about what they had achieved. VfL Bochum beat Sandhausen 3-1 on matchday 34 of the 2020/21 season and not only secured promotion to the Bundesliga, but also the second division championship. The celebration in the Ruhr Stadium was a little different, as it took place in front of empty stands due to the corona. Nevertheless, the players danced and sang with joy and the occasional beer shower. VfL Bochum was back in the Bundesliga after eleven years in the second division.
VfL is now playing its third season in the top German league. But this fact was in doubt for a long time last season. They slipped into the relegation place on the penultimate matchday. Thanks to Keven Schlotterbeck’s equaliser at the very last second, VfL was able to at least take a point away from the capital in the 1-1 draw at Hertha BSC. The team from Castroper Straße escaped the threat of relegation on matchday 34 with a 3-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen. “Last season we felt like we were relegated three times and still managed it,” head coach Thomas Letsch recently summarised in retrospect. His team is currently in the middle of a relegation battle again.
However, with six points ahead of the relegation place, the Bochum team are not in acute danger. The current fifteenth place in the table is having a changeable season. The start went completely the wrong way. They lost 5-0 to VfB Stuttgart. VfL then stabilised and can particularly rely on its home strength, which the Lilies also have to adapt to. Only three games were lost in the Ruhr Stadium at home. Bayern recently also felt the power in their own stadium. Thanks to the 3-2 sensational win, Bochum climbed to eleventh place on Matchday 22.
But recently things went downhill again for Thomas Letsch’s team. They only won one of the last eight league games. The last four matches were all lost with a goal difference of 4:13. „We’re missing the last punch at the moment. We haven’t defended sharply enough. We’re missing the final momentum, creativity and compulsion,“ Thomas Letsch recently analysed at the press conference after the defeat in Mainz. But he was also optimistic and combative in view of the current situation and the upcoming task against SV 98: „We are confident in ourselves. We have a great team. Nobody has stayed in the league with 25 points. So we will get a few more.“ We’ll take a closer look at the Lilies‘ upcoming opponents before the away game on Sunday (31.03/7.30pm). VfL Bochum in the opponent check.
Bochum’s coach used to be a teacher in Lisbon. What may now sound like a made-up story to some actually happened. Taken literally, the term “football teacher” probably applies to hardly anyone better than Thomas Letsch. The now 55-year-old was still studying mathematics and sports to become a teacher while he was a trainer. At the same time, the Swabian worked as a trainer and at his old high school in Plochingen, which he had attended as a student. “It was hard to imagine getting into the professional field as a coach back then,” said Letsch, describing his situation in a club interview and his decision to want to do something new, even though he had just been promoted to the regional league with his former club, SG Sonnenhof Großaspach.
Letsch wanted to go into school abroad and, after an inquiry, finally decided to move to Lisbon with his family. He worked there at a German school for three years. “I wanted to stay longer, but then football got in the way,” said Letsch. This was followed by coaching positions in Austria and at Erzgebirge Aue. He didn’t make it into the top leagues as a player: “It wasn’t enough to become a professional. It also has nothing to do with injuries. I just wasn’t good enough.“
Letsch’s big breakthrough came as a coach in the Netherlands at Vitesse Arnheim. With Arnheim he averaged 1.61 points in 101 games and finished fourth and sixth. The coach established high pressing and direct forward play: „Everyone was skeptical, what is he doing? Now people are excited,“ said Letsch in an interview with sport1 at the time. In the 2021/22 season he reached the round of 16 of the UEFA Conference League with Vitesse. For comparison: In the current season the club is currently second to last in the Eredivisie. Outside the Netherlands, however, almost no one knew the coach, which was also proven by Jürgen Klopp at a press conference when he did not know Letsch’s name when asked by a journalist. The Swabian is a communicative guy and gets people on board. He has been in charge at Bochum since 2022. With VfL he secured safety for the second time in a row.
| Top Scorers | Assists |
| Takuma Asano, 6 Goals | Kevin Stöger, 7 Assists |
| Kevin Stöger, 5 Goals | Philipp Hofmann, 3 Assists |
| Keven Schlotterbeck, 3 Goals | Keven Schlotterbeck, 2 Assists |
| Goncalo Paciencia, 3 Goals | Matus Bero, 2 Assists |
| Patrick Osterhage, 2 Goals | Anthony Losilla, 2 Assists |
The highlight of the Bochum team is their fighting nature, which is statistically reflected in two areas in particular: home strength and duel strength. VfL have only lost out three times this season on their home Castroper Straße. Only five teams have lost less often at home. Up until the 23rd matchday there was only one home defeat against Gladbach. Before Leipzig and Freiburg also managed to defeat Thomas Letsch’s team in their home Ruhrstadion.
Nobody can beat VfL when it comes to duels either. 2781 duels won – that’s the league lead. No other club has won as many headed duels as VfL with 742. First and foremost, of course, should be mentioned Bernardo, who is the best tackler in the league with a total of 385 duels won in this category. The Bochum team is also strong when it comes to the number of duels. In addition to Bernardo, Keven Schlotterbeck and Ivan Ordets also have a duel rate of more than 60 percent.
Bernardo in the Bayern jersey? And in the early 90s? The explanation is quickly found. Despite the clearly recognisable similarities, it was not Bernardo from VfL Bochum, but the 28-year-old’s father. Bernardo Senior made four Bundesliga appearances for the record champions in 1991. If the father was playing in the defensive midfield, the son was drawn further back, even though his role model in Rogério Ceni was a goalkeeper. As a child, he always wanted to score and emulate his idol, but the man with the number 5 on his shirt ended up in defense – with success. He is currently the best tackler in the league with 385 duels won in this statistic.
During his time in Salzburg, the Brazilian said: “I am a fighter. I always want to win.” Bernardo has been lacing up his football boots for VfL since this season. He demonstrated his fighting nature in his first training session and has been a very important building block in Bochum’s defensive system ever since. After his time in Austria, Bernardo lacked match practice, but he quickly became a regular and long-time favourite and only missed one game, and that was because of a yellow card suspension. At the beginning of the season, he was left central defender but since November left full-back – he is convincing.
Coach Thomas Letsch is also enthusiastic about his defender: „It’s extremely unpleasant for his opponents to play against him. When you think you’re past him, he’s suddenly in front of you again. He’s shown from the start that with his international experience, he is a great reinforcement for us,“ he said in the first half of the season. The coach is convinced of Bernardo’s class and actually sees him as being called upon for higher tasks: „He was always unlucky. Otherwise I don’t think he would play for Bochum.“ The Brazilian himself remains modest and praised the fans and the support in a club interview: „There is a special energy in our stadium. It is very loud. Every opponent who comes here has a problem.“ The SVD doesn’t just have to be prepared for tough duels.
An emotional match with many controversial moments unfolded on Sunday afternoon at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ultimately, Darmstadt suffered their first home defeat of the young season. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you.
Tried everything, but to no avail: SV 98 came up short in their home game against Hannover 96. The final score was 1-0 (0-0) to the visitors, whilst the Lilies had to play with ten men after Vukotic was sent off in the 20th minute.
Home game against Hannover! On matchday 3, Darmstadt 98 will host the ambitious Lower Saxons at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting lineup compared to the victory in Jena. Hiroki Akiyama replaces the suspended Kai Klefisch, while Nicolas Verkooijen (making his first start) and Yosuke Furukawa start in place of Carlo Sickinger and Manolo Merx.
Weekend, Lilies fever! On Sunday (August 30th/1:30pm), the Lilies have their third matchday on the schedule. Hannover 96, the club from the Lower Saxon capital, will be visiting the Bölle. What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will be refereeing the match? And where can you watch the game? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the match against Hannover in our "Matchday Guide"
One day before their home game against Hannover 96, Darmstadt 98 have announced another new signing. William Mikelbrencis will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 22-year-old Frenchman was under contract with Hamburger SV until June 30th.
In the press conference before the second home game of the still young season, our head coach spoke about, among other things, our team's attacking play and the past week. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Hannover 96 (August 30th/1:30pm) here for you.
A second-division team on the Berlin Mount Olympus: Hannover 96 achieved something unique in 1992. On May 23, the Lower Saxony club defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Cup final, securing another major title in the club's history 38 years after their German championship win in 1954. Hannover became the first and, to this day, only "true" second-division team to win the DFB Cup, causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.
A special place of remembrance for one of the most famous Darmstadt fans. Before SV Darmstadt 98's home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), Jonathan Heimes Square at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will be officially opened.
Darmstadt's league campaign resumes on Sunday (August 30th). Their opponent? Hannover 96! Hannover 96 have lost more often to Darmstadt than to any other team in the 2. Bundesliga. All the other facts and figures surrounding the match can be found here.
On Sunday (August 30, 2026, 1:30pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information for the upcoming home game. Starting this season, we will be offering women's entrances at the west entrances. Additionally, there is a Bölle Bande family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance.
In Wednesday's media briefing, Nicolas Verkooijen spoke about his Kickbase team, communication within the squad, and the intensive training in Germany. A former Darmstadt 98 player had the opportunity to compete against the best footballers, and we report on the historic stadium tour as part of the Bundesliga's founding anniversary celebrations. All the latest news from SV Darmstadt 98 can be found, as usual, in "Lilies Across the Board"
A journey to the roots of the Lilies: Where churches, residential buildings, or clubhouses stand today, Darmstadt football history was once written. To mark the Day of German Football History, 35 participants set out on a special tour of discovery aboard the professional team's bus—tracing the path from the early pitches of FK Olympia and SC Darmstadt to the club's current home at the Böllenfalltor.