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.
SV Darmstadt 98 invites all its members to come to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor on November 1st, 2026, starting at 11:30am. Together, we aim to once again create the largest team photo in our club’s history—with the professional players in the front and the entire Lilies family behind them.
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. The side from Baden differs from the Lilies in several key respects. Furthermore, the match will see SV 98 cross paths with a former player once again. Find out here about other connections between the two clubs, as well as some particularly interesting statistics ahead of the encounter.
On Tuesday evening (October 13th), the SilberLilien took part in SV Darmstadt 98’s Stolperstein tour for the first time. Along the approximately six-kilometre route, the participants made several stops to learn more about the fates of Jewish club members who were persecuted and driven out during the Holocaust.
From new grassroots sports offerings and a look back at the club's history to birthdays and the latest updates from the media briefing—there is plenty to report from SV Darmstadt 98 again this week. In "Lilien Across the Board," we round up the news, insights, and stories from life at the club.
Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team proved their mettle at home against KSV Hessen Kassel II in the Hessenliga on Sunday (Oct. 11th). After a convincing 90-minute performance, the Young Lilies secured another three points, finishing with a decisive 4–0 victory that lifts them to sixth place in the standings.
The Lilies overturned an early deficit to celebrate a 3–1 home victory against Energie Cottbus—a win that boosts confidence and confirms the progress being made. Read our analysis to find out why there is still work to be done and what positives SV 98 takes away from the match.
This season, too, Lilien fans will be doubly rewarded for every home goal scored by SV Darmstadt 98. In addition to the joy and excitement of the goals, the team's supporters will receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
After the international break, Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bölle with a home win! Against Energie Cottbus, SV Darmstadt 98 put on a spirited performance in front of their home crowd and rewarded themselves with three points after an intense match. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you here:
Despite falling behind, Darmstadt secured their second consecutive home win! Darmstadt defeated Energie Cottbus 3-1 (1-1). The home side equalised after conceding an early goal in the four-minute period through Weißhaupt before halftime. Vukotic headed his team into the lead in the second half, before Lührs sealed the victory with the third goal. This home win brings Darmstadt's season total to seven points.
Homegame at Böllenfalltor (10/10, 1pm): Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting XI compared to the away match in Wolfsburg three weeks ago. Richter and Mikelbrencis come into the starting lineup for Sickinger (calf issues) and Lannert (illness).
On Saturday afternoon (October 10th, 1pm), SV 98 hosts Energie Cottbus at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor for Matchday 7. What do the two head coaches have to say ahead of kick-off? Who is officiating the match, and where can you follow the action live? As always, we have compiled all the key information regarding the game against Cottbus in our "Matchday Guide" feature.