A little over a year has passed since an evening became unforgettable not only for VfL Bochum, but for all of German football. It was the second leg of the 2023/24 Bundesliga relegation playoffs. Düsseldorf's Takashi Uchino stepped up to take the penalty and fired the ball over the bar with full force. The dams broke in Bochum's away section and at home: This missed penalty allowed VfL Bochum to pull off a miracle and thus remain in the Bundesliga. But why is this game still worth mentioning a year later?
The first leg at the home Vonovia Ruhrstadion went anything but as the Bochum fans had hoped. An early own goal in the 13th minute put the team behind. A double strike by Felix Klaus and Yannik Engelhardt in the 64th and 72nd minutes further dashed the hosts‘ hopes. The final score was a bitter 0-3 defeat in front of their home crowd. Not a good starting point for the return leg. But in Düsseldorf, a completely different picture emerged. Bochum, who seemed to have no chance, played with a sense of freedom, while Fortuna Düsseldorf seemed paralysed. With an incredible 3-0 lead over 90 minutes, VfL Bochum managed to save themselves in extra time and ultimately to a penalty shootout. The rest is history.
One year later, the reality is different: After four consecutive years of top-flight football, VfL Bochum was relegated to the 2. Bundesliga at the end of last season. At the season opener on Saturday (August 2nd/1pm), the Lilies host the Bundesliga relegated team and we take a close look at VfL Bochum for you.
| Top Signings | Top Departures |
| Kjell Wätjen (from Borussia Dortmund, Midfielder) | Tim Oermann (to Bayer Leverkusen, Defender) |
| Ibrahim Sissoko (from AS St.-Étienne, Forward) | Lukas Daschner (to FC St. Gallen, Midfielder) |
| Colin Kleine-Bekel (from Holstein Kiel, Defender) | Patrick Drewes (to Borussia Dortmund, Goalkeeper) |
| Kevin Vogt (from Union Berlin, Defender) | Bernardo (to TSG Hoffenheim, Defender) |
| Romario Rösch (from SSV Ulm 1846, Midfielder) | Dani de Wit (to FC Utrecht, Midfielder) |
Dieter Hecking
Head coach of VfL BochumCuriously, when Dieter Hecking moved from Lübeck to Aachen, he first came into contact with the then Aachen manager Jörg Schmadtke – triggered by a curious circumstance: Hecking called him to get his opinion on a „Molten“ match ball. This is how the two first connected. A few weeks later, Hecking’s phone rang, and Schmadtke was on the other line – this time with a more serious matter: While Hecking was playing PlayStation with his daughter, Schmadtke informed him that he was looking for a coach – and Hecking accepted.
Bochum’s biggest advantage lies in their strength in aerial duels—at least if you look at the statistics from last Bundesliga season. With a total of 899 aerial duels won, VfL was by far the league’s strongest team in terms of aerial prowess. By comparison, Union Berlin, the second-place team in this category, only managed 758 successful aerial duels, over 100 fewer. This quality is unlikely to have diminished much with the summer signing of Kevin Vogt. The almost two-meter-tall central defender brings not only additional experience but also a physical presence in the air.
Tattoos adorn his arms and chest, and his passion for fashion is reflected in his striking looks. Poker and faith also play a role in his life. We’re talking about Kevin Vogt, a defender for VfL Bochum since the summer of 2025, who is returning to his former stomping grounds after many years away.
Born in Witten and raised in Bochum, Vogt spent the first 17 years of his life almost exclusively in his hometown. From WSV Bochum, he played for all of VfL Bochum’s youth teams, culminating in his Bundesliga debut at the age of 17 in the Revierderby against Borussia Dortmund, where he came on as a substitute for ten minutes.
In 2012, Vogt moved to FC Augsburg. He then went on to play for 1. FC Köln, TSG Hoffenheim, Werder Bremen, and Union Berlin. In total, he made 352 Bundesliga appearances, as well as eleven Europa League and six Champions League appearances. At Hoffenheim, he became a key defensive player who, according to his then head coach and current national team coach Julian Nagelsmann, „has a lot of ball contact, initiates attacks, recognises danger, and constantly makes decisions.“ Nagelsmann even compared him to football star Tom Brady.
In the summer of 2025, Vogt returned to VfL Bochum. The return of the Westphalian native is a special one for the club, as VfL Sporting Director Dirk Dufner explained on the club website: „Kevin will help us with his experience and technical skills. We expect him to lead the way as a leader.“
Off the pitch, Vogt has many passions. His tattoos – including the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus, a dream catcher, and the words „Only God Can Judge Me“ and „God Blessed Me“ – are very meaningful to him. Although he used to attend church regularly, he once revealed in the Werder podcast that his faith had waned somewhat. He also enjoys playing poker, where he finds the mix of luck and tactics appealing, as he said in an interview with the Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung.
In his private life, Vogt is a very organised person who values spending time with family, friends, and his two dogs. Friends jokingly call him „Alfo“ – a play on the nickname „Alpha Kevin.“ He takes it with humour, because Vogt simply remains himself. With all his interests and characteristics, he is now returning to Bochum. The very place where it all began – and where he feels at home.
After 13 unbeaten second-division matches, SV Darmstadt 98 suffered their first defeat this Friday evening. Three unfortunate minutes just before halftime, during which Patric Pfeiffer was sent off and Vincent Vermeij scored twice, paved the way for Dresden's victory. After the match, the focus was primarily on the differing assessments of two very similar incidents by the refereeing team – incidents which both coaches subsequently evaluated identically.
For the first time since October, Darmstadt 98 finished a league match without any points: SV 98 lost 3-1 (2-0) to SG Dynamo Dresden. After a controversial red card against Patric Pfeiffer (42nd minute), the home side scored two goals in first-half stoppage time to secure the victory.
Under the floodlights at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadium. On Friday evening (February 27th/6:30pm), Darmstadt 98 will play away against Dynamo Dresden. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting eleven. Raoul Petretta makes his first start, replacing Fabian Holland. Luca Marseiler starts in place of the suspended Marco Richter, and Hiroki Akiyama replaces Fraser Hornby, who is sidelined with a thigh injury. Fabian Nürnberger, Matthias Bader, and Bartosz Bialek remain unavailable due to injury.
A floodlit match at the Rudolf-Haribig-Stadion is always something special. Darmstadt 98 are aiming to take three points back to southern Hesse this Friday evening (February 27th). Kick-off is at 6:30pm. All the important information about the 24th matchday of the 2. Bundesliga is clearly summarised for you in our "Matchday Guide".
Darmstadt 98 aim to extend their unbeaten run to 14 games in Friday evening's match against Dynamo Dresden. While Darmstadt's potent attack has resulted in a respectable goal tally, they are wary at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. The Saxons have been on an upward trend since the winter break and will have a vociferous home crowd behind them. We've compiled all the facts and figures surrounding this clash in this report. Here you'll find the key facts for tomorrow's match.
Darmstadt and Dresden are 598 kilometres apart. On Friday evening (February 27th, 6:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will travel to the Saxon capital for the 24th matchday of the 2nd Bundesliga. The next away game will take place under the floodlights at the historic Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. You can find all relevant fan information here.
Before SV Darmstadt 98 plays under floodlights in Dresden on Friday evening (27.02/18.30), Florian Kohfeldt spoke at the press conference about the strengths of Dynamo Dresden and the special atmosphere in the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion.
Raoul Petretta joined SV Darmstadt 98 in the winter and already feels very much at home. He talks about his arrival and his goals. Besides their sporting focus, the Lilies are also committed to sustainability: On March 15, 2026, over 3,500 trees will be planted as part of the fifth "In the Sign of the Lily" tree-planting campaign. In our "Lilies Across the Board" section, we provide you with the most important news from SV Darmstadt 98 every week.
Numerous Dynamo Dresden fans flock to the stadium on home match days. But one day, they came for a single reason: What should their stadium be called in the future? Tens of thousands of supporters gathered in front of the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, ready to cast their votes. In cooperation with regional partners, Dynamo Dresden's management took the unusual step of letting the club's supporters decide for themselves.
WirLilien – Together for nature conservation! Together with our partner Krombacher, we will once again plant more than 3,500 trees on Sunday (March 15th) – under the banner of the Lily. You can still register for the event at short notice.
On Friday (February 27th, 7:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team begins the second phase of their Hessenliga season. With 23 points after 20 matchdays, the Lilies are currently in 14th place. Following intensive weeks of winter training, the team aims to start the upcoming challenges with renewed energy and secure crucial points.
A fast-paced, thrilling exchange between SV Darmstadt 98 and Fortuna Düsseldorf reached its ecstatic climax in the 88th minute. Thanks to Matej Maglica's header, Darmstadt secured a 2-1 victory in a wild battle that resembled a 12-round boxing match, with both sides neglecting their defences and constantly searching for the next hook or punch. A day later, sv98.de looks back on what was probably the most exciting home game of the season so far for the South Hessian side.