From BZ/dpa
Thomas Reis is no longer the coach of VfL Bochum.
As the bottom of the table in the Bundesliga announced on Monday after the team lost six games in the first six games of the season, the previous coach of the Bochum youth team, Heiko Butscher, will take over.
“We urgently need to find solutions to improve the very difficult sporting situation and at the same time ignore issues that have a negative impact on it,” said sports director Patrick Fabian on Monday. “Heiko Butscher has agreed to take over the team on an interim basis until further notice. At the same time, we are working on finding a successor for the head coach position.”
Not only the sporting crisis had recently depressed the mood at the traditional club, which was still strong last season. Bochum and Reis had not been able to agree on an extension of the coach’s contract, which expires in 2023. In addition, rumors and media reports increased the unrest that Reis was considering a move to Ruhr area rivals FC Schalke 04 before the season.
Reis had denied this before the 3-1 defeat at Schalke on Saturday evening.
Thomas Reis at VfL Bochum’s 3-1 defeat at Schalke last Saturday Photo: David Indian song/dpa
VfL then struggled with the decision for a long time. “It should be clear to everyone that this decision is not easy for us. Thomas Reis has a connection to the club and the city that goes beyond the successful past three years,” Fabian continued. Reis had held various coaching positions at Bochum for many years before taking over the professional team as head coach in 2019. Reis stabilized the club in the 2nd Bundesliga and rose in 2021 with Bochum. VfL, considered by many experts to be sure of relegation, played a strong season and surprised with victories against Bayern Munich and in Dortmund.
Reis had repeatedly emphasized how difficult the second year after promotion would be. Financially not exactly luxuriously endowed, VfL invested the smallest amount of all 18 first division clubs in transfers. The team has not yet been able to absorb the departures of several top performers. Now a new coach should do it better on Castroper Straße. Next Sunday there is a home game against 1. FC Köln.