VfL Bochum - Wikipedia

German association football club

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Football clubVfL Bochum

Full name	Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft e. V.
Founded	26 July 1848; 177 years ago (1848-07-26)
Ground	Vonovia-Ruhrstadion
Capacity	27,599[citation needed]
Chairman	Andreas Luthe[1]
Manager	Uwe Rösler
League	2. Bundesliga
2024–25	Bundesliga, 18th of 18 (relegated)
Website	vfl-bochum.de
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as VfL Bochum (German pronunciation: [faʊ̯ʔɛfˌʔɛlˈboːxʊm] ⓘ), is a German professional association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia. They currently play in the 2. Bundesliga following relegation from the Bundesliga in the previous season.[2]

History

[edit]

Founding to World War II

[edit]

VfL Bochum is one of the oldest sports organisations in the world, claiming an origin date of 26 July 1848 when an article in the Märkischer Sprecher – a local newspaper – called for the creation of a gymnastics club. The Turnverein zu Bochum was then formally established on 18 February 1849. In December 1851, however, the club was forcibly dissolved and banned by the Prussian provincial administration then reestablished on 19 June 1860 as the Bochum Gymnastics Club. The club was reorganised in May 1904 as Turnverein zu Bochum, gegründet 1848 and formed a football department on 31 January 1911. On 1 April 1919, the club merged with Spiel und Sport 08 Bochum to form Turn- und Sportverein Bochum 1848. On 1 February 1924, the two clubs from the earlier merger split into the Bochumer Turnverein 1848 (gymnastics department) and Turn- und Sportverein Bochum 1908 (football, track and field, handball, hockey and tennis departments).[3]

The Nazi regime forced Bochumer Turnverein 1848 to merge with Turn- und Sport Bochum 1908 and Sportverein Germania Vorwärts Bochum 1906 into the current-day club VfL Bochum on 14 April 1938. After the merger, VfL Bochum continued to compete in the top flight as part of the Gauliga Westfalen.[3][4][5]

As World War II progressed, play throughout Germany became increasingly difficult due to player shortages, travel problems and damage to football fields from Allied bombing raids. VfL became part of the wartime side Kriegsspielgemeinschaft VfL 1848/Preußen Bochum alongside Preußen 07 Bochum, before re-emerging as a separate side again after the war.[vague] Although they fielded competitive sides, they had the misfortune[tone] of playing in the same division as Schalke 04, which was the dominant team of the era. VfL's best result was therefore a distant second place in 1938–39.

Postwar and entry to Bundesliga play

[edit]

Following World War II, the football section resumed play as the independent VfL Bochum 1848 and played its first season in the second division 2. Oberliga West in 1949, while Preußen Bochum went on to lower tier amateur level play.[citation needed] VfL won the division title in 1953 to advance to the Oberliga West for a single season.[citation needed] They repeated their divisional win in 1956 and returned to the top-flight until again being relegated after the 1960–61 season.

With the formation of the Bundesliga, Germany's new professional league, in 1963 VfL found itself in the third tier Amateurliga Westfalen.[citation needed] A first-place result there in 1965 raised them to the Regionalliga West (II),[citation needed] from which they began a steady climb up the league table to the Bundesliga in 1971.[citation needed] During this rise, Bochum also played its way to the final of the 1967–68 DFB-Pokal, where they lost 1–4 to 1. FC Köln.

In spite of being a perennial lower table side, Bochum developed a reputation for tenaciousness[according to whom?] on the field in a run of 20 seasons in the top flight. The club made a repeat appearance in the DFB-Pokal final in 1988, losing 1–0 to Eintracht Frankfurt.[citation needed] Relegated after a 16th-place finish in the 1992–93 season, the team became a classic "yo-yo club",[according to whom?] moving between the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. The club finished in 5th place in the Bundesliga in 1996–97 and 2003–04, which earned them appearances in the UEFA Cup.[citation needed] In 1997, they advanced to the third round, where they were eliminated by Ajax, and in 2004, they were eliminated early on away goals (0–0 and 1–1) by Standard Liège.

In the 2020–21 season, the club won the 2. Bundesliga, earning promotion to the Bundesliga, where they stayed for four seasons. In the 2023–24 season, the club was in a relegation playoff with Fortuna Düsseldorf, winning 6–5 on penalties, after initially being 3–0 down in the first leg.[6] The following season, Bochum were relegated after a 4–1 defeat against Mainz 05 in their penultimate fixture.[7] Their four-year stay in the Bundesliga ended on a positive note with a 2–0 win away to St. Pauli.[8]

Current

[edit]

Today's sports club has 5,000 members, with the football department accounting for over 2,200 of these. Other sections now part of the association include athletics, badminton, basketball, dance, fencing, gymnastics, handball, field hockey, swimming, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball.

Players

[edit] See also: List of VfL Bochum players

Current squad

[edit] As of 1 September 2025[9]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  GER Timo Horn 3 DF  GER Philipp Strompf 4 DF  SRB Erhan Mašović 5 DF  GER Colin Kleine-Bekel 6 MF  MLI Ibrahima Sissoko 7 DF  GER Kevin Vogt 8 MF  GER Kjell Wätjen (on loan from Borussia Dortmund) 9 FW  MLI Ibrahim Sissoko 10 FW  IRL Michael Obafemi (on loan from Burnley) 11 MF  GER Moritz Kwarteng 14 FW  FRA Mathis Clairicia 15 DF  GER Felix Passlack 17 MF  PHI Gerrit Holtmann 19 MF  SVK Matúš Bero (captain) 20 DF  SUI Noah Loosli

No. Pos. Nation Player 21 MF  GER Francis Onyeka (on loan from Bayer Leverkusen) 22 GK  GER Niclas Thiede 23 MF  JPN Kōji Miyoshi 24 MF  GER Mats Pannewig 25 DF  GER Daniel Hülsenbusch 26 DF  GER Romario Rösch 29 FW  GER Farid Alfa-Ruprecht (on loan from Bayer Leverkusen) 30 DF  GER Darnell Keumo 32 DF  GER Maximilian Wittek 33 FW  GER Philipp Hofmann 34 MF  GER Cajetan Lenz 35 DF  GER Kacper Koscierski 36 FW  KOS Lirim Jashari 38 GK  GER Hugo Rölleke 39 DF  GER Leandro Morgalla (on loan from RB Salzburg)

Out on loan

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  GER Samuel Bamba (on loan at Willem II Tilburg)

Notable players

[edit] See also: Category:VfL Bochum players

Honours

[edit]

Domestic

[edit]

• 2. Bundesliga (II): 1993–94, 1995–96, 2005–06, 2020–21
• Regionalliga West (II): 1969–70, 1970–71
• 2. Oberliga West (II): 1952–53, 1955–56
• Verbandsliga Westfalen (III): 1964–65

Cup

[edit]

• DFB-Pokal
  • Runners-up: 1967–68, 1987–88

Regional

[edit]

• Western German Cup (II): 1967–68[citation needed]

Youth

[edit]

• German Under 19 championship: 1969[citation needed]
• German Under 17 championship: 1985[citation needed]
• Under 19 Bundesliga West: 2004,[citation needed] 2005[citation needed]

Individual

[edit]

• Bundesliga top goal scorer: 1985–86 (Stefan Kuntz, 22 goals),[citation needed] 2002–03 (Thomas Christiansen, 21 goals (w/Giovane Élber)),[citation needed] 2006–07 (Theofanis Gekas, 20 goals)[citation needed]
• 2. Bundesliga top goal scorer: 1993–94 (Uwe Wegmann, 22 goals),[citation needed] 2015–16 (Simon Terodde, 25 goals)[citation needed]

League results

[edit]

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European record

[edit]

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Competition	Played	Win	D	Lose	GF	GA
UEFA Cup	8	2	3	3	15	14
UEFA Intertoto Cup	28	10	8	10	37	33
Total	36	12	11	13	52	47

VfL Bochum II

[edit] Main article: VfL Bochum II

Stadium

[edit]

Ruhrstadion (also known as the Vonovia Ruhrstadion under a sponsorship deal) was one of the first modern football-only stadiums in Germany.[according to whom?][citation needed] It was built in the 1970s on the traditional ground of TuS Bochum 08 at the Castroper Straße, north of the city centre.[citation needed]

The fully roofed venue's capacity is 27,599, including standing room for 12,025.[10]

Coaches

[edit]

Current staff

[edit] As of 15 September 2025

Position	Name
Manager	Uwe Rösler
Assistant manager	Alessandro Riedle
Goalkeeping coach	Sebastian Baumgartner
Fitness coach	Lucas Kern
Fitness coach	Marius Kirmse
Rehab coach	Benedikt Oppenhäuser

Coaches

[edit]

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Years	Coach
1938–?	Georg Hochgesang
1953–1956	Emil Melcher
1956–1960	Herbert Widmayer
1960–1961	Fritz Silken
1961–1963	Hermann Lindemann
1963–1967	Hubert Schieth
1967–1972	Hermann Eppenhoff
1972–1979	Heinz Höher
1979–1981	Helmuth Johannsen
1981–1986	Rolf Schafstall
1986–1988	Hermann Gerland
1988–1989	Franz-Josef Tenhagen
1989–1991	Reinhard Saftig
1991	Rolf Schafstall (caretaker)
1991–1992	Holger Osieck
1992–1995	Jürgen Gelsdorf
1995–1999	Klaus Toppmöller
1999	Ernst Middendorp
1999	Bernard Dietz (caretaker)
2000–2001	Ralf Zumdick
2001	Rolf Schafstall (caretaker)
	Bernard Dietz
2001–2005	Peter Neururer
2005–2009	Marcel Koller
2009	Frank Heinemann (caretaker)
2009–2010	Heiko Herrlich
2010	Dariusz Wosz (caretaker)
2010–2011	Friedhelm Funkel
2011–2012	Andreas Bergmann
2012–2013	Karsten Neitzel (caretaker)
2013–2014	Peter Neururer
2014	Frank Heinemann (caretaker)
2014–2017	Gertjan Verbeek
2017	Ismail Atalan
2017–2018	Jens Rasiejewski (caretaker)
2018	Heiko Butscher (caretaker)
2018–2019	Robin Dutt
2019	Heiko Butscher (caretaker)
2019–2022	Thomas Reis
2022	Heiko Butscher (caretaker)
2022–2024	Thomas Letsch
2024	Heiko Butscher (caretaker)
2024	Peter Zeidler
2024	Markus Feldhoff (caretaker)
2024–2025	Dieter Hecking
2025	David Siebers
2025–	Uwe Rösler

References

[edit]

1. ^ "Andreas Luthe und Hans-Peter Villis zu Vorsitzenden gewählt" [Andreas Luthe and Hans-Peter Villis voted chairmen] (in German). VfL Bochum. 24 June 2025.
2. ^ place, Bochum and Holstein Kiel were relegated from the Bundesliga after defeats by Mainz and Freiburg respectively, but Heidenheim still has a chance of escaping the relegation play-off. "Bochum, Kiel relegated as Heidenheim gets lifeline". beIN SPORTS. Retrieved 13 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
3. ^ a b "Historie". VfL Bochum official website (in German). VfL Bochum. Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
4. ^ "Historie / Chronologie". VfL Bochum official website (soccer department) (in German). VfL Bochum. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
5. ^ Grüne, Hardy (2001). Vereinslexikon. Kassel: AGON Sportverlag ISBN 3-89784-147-9
6. ^ "VfL Bochum's miraculous comeback secures Bundesliga stay". sabcsport.com. 28 May 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
7. ^ Bartels, Tom. Chance auf Europa gewahrt: Mainz schickt Bochum in die zweite Liga (in German). Retrieved 13 May 2025 – via www.sportschau.de.
8. ^ "Bochum match report A24-25 (1)". FC St. Pauli (in German). Retrieved 19 May 2025.
9. ^ "VfL Bochum – Kader" [VfL Bochum – Squad] (in German). VfL Bochum. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
10. ^ "rewirpowerSTADION Daten & Fakten" [rewirpowerSTADION data & facts] (in German). VfL Bochum. Archived from the original on 28 April 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2017.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to VfL Bochum.

• Official website
• The Abseits Guide to German Soccer
• VfL Bochum at fussball.com (archived)
• vfl-bochum.pl (archived)

v t e VfL Bochum
Information	Club Reserve Women Players Seasons
Matches	1968 DFB-Pokal final 1988 DFB-Pokal final
Related articles	Ruhrstadion VfL AstroStars Bochum Germania Bochum TuS Bochum
Categories	Managers Matches Players (Reserve, Women) Seasons
Seasons	1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26

v t e 2. Bundesliga
Seasons	1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26
2025–26 clubs	Arminia Bielefeld VfL Bochum Eintracht Braunschweig Darmstadt 98 Dynamo Dresden Fortuna Düsseldorf SV Elversberg Greuther Fürth Hannover 96 Hertha BSC 1. FC Kaiserslautern Karlsruher SC Holstein Kiel 1. FC Magdeburg Preußen Münster 1. FC Nürnberg SC Paderborn Schalke 04
Former clubs	2. Bundesliga (1981–present) Alemannia Aachen VfR Aalen Rot Weiss Ahlen Viktoria Aschaffenburg Erzgebirge Aue FC Augsburg SV Babelsberg 03 SpVgg Bayreuth Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin Tennis Borussia Berlin Union Berlin Stahl Brandenburg Werder Bremen Wacker Burghausen VfR Bürstadt SC Charlottenburg Chemnitzer FC Energie Cottbus MSV Duisburg Rot-Weiß Erfurt Rot-Weiss Essen Eintracht Frankfurt FSV Frankfurt Freiburger FC SC Freiburg FC Gütersloh Hallescher FC Hamburger SV TSV Havelse 1. FC Heidenheim 1899 Hoffenheim FC Homburg FC Ingolstadt Carl Zeiss Jena Hessen Kassel TuS Koblenz 1. FC Köln Fortuna Köln RB Leipzig VfB Leipzig VfB Lübeck 1. FSV Mainz 05 Waldhof Mannheim SV Meppen Borussia Mönchengladbach TSV 1860 Munich Kickers Offenbach Rot-Weiß Oberhausen VfB Oldenburg VfL Osnabrück Jahn Regensburg FC Remscheid SSV Reutlingen Hansa Rostock 1. FC Saarbrücken FSV Salmrohr SV Sandhausen TuS Schloß Neuhaus 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 Sportfreunde Siegen Union Solingen FC St. Pauli VfB Stuttgart Stuttgarter Kickers Eintracht Trier KFC Uerdingen 05 SSV Ulm SpVgg Unterhaching Wattenscheid 09 Wehen Wiesbaden VfL Wolfsburg Wormatia Worms Wuppertaler SV Würzburger Kickers FSV Zwickau 2. Bundesliga Nord (1974–1981) HSV Barmbek-Uhlenhorst Wacker 04 Berlin 1. FC Bocholt Bonner SC OSC Bremerhaven Borussia Dortmund SpVgg Erkenschwick Schwarz-Weiß Essen 1. SC Göttingen 05 DJK Gütersloh Arminia Hannover OSV Hannover SC Herford Westfalia Herne Viktoria Köln Bayer Leverkusen Rot-Weiß Lüdenscheid 1. FC Mülheim Spandauer SV DSC Wanne-Eickel Olympia Wilhelmshaven 2. Bundesliga Süd (1974–1981) Eintracht Bad Kreuznach KSV Baunatal VfB Eppingen FC Hanau 93 VfR Heilbronn Bayern Hof ESV Ingolstadt MTV Ingolstadt VfR Mannheim Borussia Neunkirchen FK Pirmasens BSV 07 Schwenningen Röchling Völklingen Würzburger FV
Clubs Introduction Promotion to 2. Bundesliga Promotion to Bundesliga Top scorers

v t e Bundesliga
2025–26 clubs	FC Augsburg Union Berlin Werder Bremen Borussia Dortmund Eintracht Frankfurt SC Freiburg Hamburger SV 1. FC Heidenheim TSG Hoffenheim 1. FC Köln RB Leipzig Bayer Leverkusen Mainz 05 Bayern Munich Borussia Mönchengladbach FC St. Pauli VfB Stuttgart VfL Wolfsburg
Former clubs	1860 Munich Alemannia Aachen Arminia Bielefeld Bayer 05 Uerdingen/KFC Uerdingen 05 Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin Borussia Neunkirchen VfL Bochum Darmstadt 98 Dynamo Dresden Fortuna Düsseldorf Eintracht Braunschweig Energie Cottbus Fortuna Köln Greuther Fürth Hannover 96 Hansa Rostock Hertha BSC FC 08 Homburg FC Ingolstadt 1. FC Kaiserslautern Karlsruher SC Kickers Offenbach Holstein Kiel VfB Leipzig Meidericher SV/MSV Duisburg Preußen Münster 1. FC Nürnberg Rot-Weiss Essen Rot-Weiß Oberhausen SC Paderborn 1. FC Saarbrücken Schalke 04 Stuttgarter Kickers Tasmania Berlin Tennis Borussia Berlin SSV Ulm SpVgg Unterhaching Waldhof Mannheim Wattenscheid 09 Wuppertaler SV
History	Meisterschale Reichsliga Introduction in 1963 1965 scandal 1971 scandal 2005 scandal Promotion
Competition	Clubs winners Players foreign Managers
Lists and statistics	Records and statistics Borussia Mönchengladbach 12–0 Borussia Dortmund All-time table Footballer of the Year Top scorers Top scorers by season Hat-tricks Attendance Awards
Seasons	1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26
Category Managers Players

v t e Under 19 Bundesliga West 2022–23 clubs
VfL Bochum Bonner SC Borussia Dortmund MSV Duisburg Fortuna Düsseldorf Rot-Weiss Essen VfB 03 Hilden 1. FC Köln FC Viktoria Köln Bayer Leverkusen Borussia Mönchengladbach SC Preußen Münster Rot-Weiß Oberhausen SC Paderborn 07 FC Schalke 04 SC Verl

v t e Under 17 Bundesliga West 2022–23 clubs
Arminia Bielefeld VfL Bochum SV Deutz 05 Borussia Dortmund MSV Duisburg Fortuna Düsseldorf Rot-Weiss Essen FC Hennef 05 1. FC Köln SC Fortuna Köln Bayer Leverkusen Borussia Mönchengladbach SC Preußen Münster SC Paderborn 07 FC Schalke 04 Sportfreunde Siegen

Authority control databases	VIAF GND