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.
Darmstadt 98 lost to Hannover 96 while playing with ten men and must continue to wait for their first win of this second division season. Read our analysis to find out what positives remain and why Darmstadt 98 had factored in setbacks on their chosen path.
Around the time of the home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), the Jonathan Heimes Square was officially inaugurated. Before kickoff, club president Markus Pfitzner and Martin Heimes, father of Jonathan Heimes, who died of cancer about ten years ago, gave speeches highlighting "Johnny's" importance and his commitment to people with cancer.
The Lilien Team Marathon is not just about athletic performance and the shared experience around the Böllenfalltor stadium – but also about making a difference together.
The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team drew 2-2 (0-1) against SV Unter-Flockenbach. After a heated home game, the young Lilies had to settle for a frustrating, but ultimately deserved, draw. In this extremely balanced league, Patrick Kurt's team continues to grow week by week, gaining valuable experience.
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.
