The Bochum players first had to be persuaded to go into the fan curve. The frustration after the bitter defeat and the fall to a direct relegation zone was too great.
“We can only do it if we play with passion. I still believe in it, but it’s a matter of the mind,” said the totally disappointed Bochum captain Anthony Losilla after the 0: 2 (0: 1) in the Bundesliga Borussia Monchengladbach. Three laps before the end of the season, the situation for the Revier-Elf has worsened. With the victories of Schalke, Hoffenheim and Hertha, VfL is the big loser this weekend. “It’s not just about us, it’s about the club, the staff and the whole city,” said Losilla.
Letsch: “Everyone should know what it’s about”
VfL coach Thomas Letsch does not hope that it was a head problem for his players. “That would be devastating. Everyone should know what’s going on,” said the coach, who has been in office since September and under whom a lot has improved on Castroper Strasse. But in the league final sprint, the team seems to be running out of air.
“We didn’t get relegated today, but the situation hasn’t gotten any better,” said Letsch. “There are still nine points to be awarded. We’ll fight until the end,” promised the coach. The remaining program brings two home games against FC Augsburg and Bayer Leverkusen on the last day. In between is the away game at Hertha BSC. The bottom of the league from Berlin has made the connection again and is on the heels of Bochum.
“We reckon we need two wins. Today we wanted to get the first one, we didn’t manage that. Now we have three games left, now we just have to make two wins out of these three games,” explained Bochum’s coach also arrived in the team. “Three games, nine points – that’s a clear task,” said defender Keven Schlotterbeck, who only found out about his assignment 15 minutes before the start of the game because team-mate Patrick Osterhage sustained a muscle injury. “Everyone has to be 100 percent there now so that we can pull this thing on our side,” said the 26-year-old.
Stindl makes the decision late
The guests were not without a chance in Borussia Park, where they have often scored in the past. After the break, when the hosts were 1-0 up through Jonas Hofmann (35′), Bochum had chances to equalize. Only in added time did Lars Stindl (90.1) make it 2-0 for Mönchengladbach to make the decision. In between, hope germinated in Bochum. “If Philipp Hofmann doesn’t head the ball against the crossbar but into the goal, then it’s 1-1,” said Schlotterbeck. “We’re building up the opponent – and that annoys me. We have to change that as soon as possible because that’s not enough against Augsburg, that’s not enough against Hertha. And that’s not enough against Leverkusen either,” said Letsch.
